Abbott Receives CE Mark for 48-mm Drug-Eluting Stent

Abbott has received CE Mark approval from the European Union for its Xience Xpedition 48 Everolimus Eluting coronary stent, which is designed for patients suffering from long blockages in blood vessels leading to the heart.The Xience Xpedition stent offers a 48-mm length, the longest coronary drug-eluting stent currently available on the market. Studies have shown that physicians may use multiple short stents in as much as one-third of heart procedures since a traditional stent may not cover a lesion in its entirety. However, a single stent may carry several advantages over multiple short stents.A longer stent can help reduce the use of multiple medical devices during coronary intervention. In addition, the use of a single stent can reduce a patient's exposure to x-rays during imaging. The use of a single stent can help reduce procedural time.The efficacy of the stent is supported by long-term data from more than 53,000 patients in more than 100 studies.Coronary artery disease lesions can develop in a patient's arteries as cholesterol and fat stick to the side of arterial walls. In particular, diabetics suffer from long arterial lesions. "One of the hallmarks of Abbott's vascular product development is our ability to identify new ways to help physicians address the needs of their patients," stated Dr. Charles Simonton, vice president and chief medical officer at Abbott Vascular. "XIENCE Xpedition 48 provides a new, unique solution for treating patients with very long lesions, affirming Abbott's commitment to continued innovation."Related Content:Design Flaw Poses Potential Threat to Shrinking Drug-Eluting StentsAbbott Cuts 200 Jobs at Irish Manufacturing Facility