Abbott announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved its XIENCE V (R) Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Japan is the second largest drug eluting stent market in the world after the United States, with approximately 200,000 stent procedures performed each year. The company plans to launch XIENCE V in Japan in the upcoming weeks, immediately following final reimbursement authorization.

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Solvay’s and Abbott’s TriLipix TM (fenofibric acid delayed-release capsules) was approved by the FDA for use along with diet to help lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, and to raise HDL cholesterol in patients with lipid problems. TriLipixTM is the first and only fibrate to be approved for use in combination with a statin. In certain patients, treatment guidelines recommend the combination of a fibrate with a statin to further improve lipid levels. TriLipix has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attack.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicated that the use of Abbott Laboratories‘ XIENCE™ V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in patients with coronary artery disease resulted in a 50% reduction in vessel renarrowing. It also showed an observed 42% reduction in major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at one year in the patients using XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System, as compared to the TAXUS® Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System.