Abbott to start women-only stent study |
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Tue, 06 Feb 2007 17:31
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NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. (AFX) - Diversified health care products maker Abbott Laboratories said Tuesday that it plans to start enrolling the first women-only clinical trial to study the use of drug-coated heart stents by midyear.Stents are wire mesh tubes that act as scaffolding in diseased blood vessels. The drug coating keeps tissue from growing through the mesh and blocking the blood vessel.Abbott plans to track the use of its Xience stent in about 2,000 patients at 100 sites in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Canada and Latin America. The study is aimed at producing specific data on heart disease and how it is diagnosed in women.The company cited figures showing that more women than men die from heart disease, but women only account for 33 percent of angioplasties, stents and bypass surgeries; 28 percent of implantable defibrillators; and 36 percent of open-heart surgeries.Abbott shares fell 14 cents to $52.36 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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