Clinical Trial Demonstrates Device Is Effective in Treating Condition Associated with 200,000 Strokes Annually; New Device from
October 19 2005 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Data from a clinical trial show that a new device from St. Jude
Medical, Inc., (NYSE:STJ) is effective in treating a common
condition associated with more than 200,000 strokes worldwide each
year. The PFO (patent foramen ovale) CLOSE UP (Closure Using
Premere(TM)) Trial results were presented this week at the
Cardiovascular Research Foundation's Seventeenth Annual
Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific
symposium by Principal Investigator Horst Sievert, M.D., Professor
of Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Vascular Medicine at the
CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Sankt Katharinen, Frankfurt,
Germany. PFOs, or patent foramen ovale, are common defects where a
small hole between the upper chambers of the heart can allow
unfiltered venous blood to enter the arterial circulation. If the
unfiltered blood contains a clot or other debris, it can trigger a
stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA, or "mini-stroke"). While
everyone is born with a PFO and most close naturally during
infancy, approximately 25 percent of the adult population has a
PFO, which is usually considered benign in most people. The
Premere(TM) PFO Closure System (20mm) device safely and effectively
closed PFOs in 87 percent of cases after six months with no adverse
events. The trial included 67 patients at five research sites in
Europe. Premere was specifically designed for PFO closures. During
the procedure, physicians deliver the device through the PFO and
then open its two sides independently, allowing physicians to
precisely place the device and close the PFO. The Premere(TM)
device is implanted through a transcatheter approach, which is far
less invasive than open heart surgery. "The Premere(TM) design
conforms well to PFO anatomy, using materials that minimize
complications, limit the body's exposure to foreign material and
enable physicians to precisely place the device," said Paul R.
Buckman, president of St. Jude Medical's Cardiology Division. "The
absence of complications during the trial confirms the device was
successful in meeting these important clinical objectives." Strokes
occur when an artery bursts or is blocked, which denies oxygen to
the brain and leads to loss of function. It is estimated that more
than 2 million patients worldwide suffer strokes each year, 10
percent of which are associated with PFOs. TIAs temporarily
interrupt the brain's blood supply. While they do not have lasting
effects, they are warning signs of a stroke, and one-third of
people with TIAs eventually experience a stroke, too. Medical
researchers have observed that patients whose PFOs have been closed
appear to have less recurrence of strokes. In December 2004,
Premere(TM) received European CE Mark approval for sale in Europe
and select international markets. Premere(TM) is only available for
investigational use in the United States. There is evidence that
PFOs also are associated with migraine headaches; in the U.S., the
device will be used in the ESCAPE clinical trial (Effect of Septal
Closure of Atrial PFO on Events of Migraine with Premere) under an
approved Investigational Device Exemption to study the effect of
PFO closure on migraine attacks. The ESCAPE trial
(www.ESCAPEmigraines.com) is expected to begin in late 2005. St.
Jude Medical, Inc. (www.sjm.com) is dedicated to the design,
manufacture and distribution of innovative medical devices of the
highest quality, offering physicians, patients and payers
outstanding clinical performance and demonstrated economic value.
Any statements made regarding St. Jude Medical's anticipated future
product launches, regulatory approvals, revenues, earnings, market
shares, and potential clinical success are forward-looking
statements which are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as
those described in the Company's 8-K filed October 17, 2005. Actual
results may differ materially from anticipated results.
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