Friday, October 20, 2006

FDA Plans Stent Safety Meeting

Drug-eluting stents marketed by Boston Scientific Corp. and Johnson & Johnson will be discussed at a Dec. 7 and 8 FDA meeting.

The FDA announced the dates for a previously discussed meeting to look at whether drug-coated stents may actually increase the risk of deadly blood clots. The FDA began discussing the meeting after several studies showed patients with drug-coated stents had a higher risk of developing blood clots than patients with bare metal stents. Both types of devices are designed to keep arteries open after they have been cleared of fatty deposits.