Industry News

• Abbott announces positive data from ABSORB trial  Abbott announced positive 30-day results from patients enrolled in the second phase of the ABSORB trial. Patients treated with the bioresorbable vascular scaffold demonstrated no cases of blood clots, no repeat procedures and a low rate of major adverse cardiac events.
  Abbott March 15, 2010  
• New analysis assesses impact of common genetic variation of antiplatelet therapy  An analysis of a TRITON-TIMI 38 study evaluated response rates in patients with a common genetic variant in the ABCB1 gene. Patients in the study were treated with dual antiplatelet therapy with either Plavix plus aspirin or Effient plus aspirin and managed with percutaneous coronary intervention.
  Eli Lilly and Company March 15, 2010  
• Portola Pharmaceuticals and Merck announce phase 2 study results  Portola and Merck announced the results of EXPLORE-Xa, a Phase 2 exploratory dose finding study of betrixaban that showed a once-daily dose of oral betrixaban reduced the incidence of major and clinically relevant non-major bleeds compared to dose-adjusted warfarin.
  Merck & Co., Inc. March 15, 2010  
• Medtronic announces initial results of STOP AF clinical trial  Medtronic announced data from a STOP AF clinical trial that showed superiority over anti-arrhythmic drugs, with 69.9 percent of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation treated with the Arctic Front Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter System remaining free of atrial fibrillation one year later.
  Medtronic, Inc. March 15, 2010  
• Mayo Clinic study finds link between hypoglycemia and mortality rates in critically ill  In a study published in the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers report that they have found a link between mild to moderate hypoglycemia and mortality in critically ill patients. Mild to moderate degrees of hypoglycemia were previously considered clinically unimportant.
  Mayo Clinic March 15, 2010  
• MDRNA demonstrates greater efficacy in cancer with an UsiRNA combination approach  MDRNA announced enhanced efficacy for tumor reduction when two UsiRNA were combined within a single formulation. The UsiRNAs targeted two proteins survivin, a protein involved in cell division and inhibition of apoptosis, and PLK1, a protein involved in cell mitosis and tumor progression.
  MDRNA, Inc. March 15, 2010  
• Abbott statement: ACCORD lipid results support treatment guidelines for fibrate use  Results presented on behalf of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute from ACCORD, a study in patients with diabetes that evaluated cardiovascular outcomes in three distinct studies - glycemic control, blood pressure control and lipid control.
  Abbott March 14, 2010  
• Data demonstrates Abbott's MitraClip has potential to be a valuable treatment option  Data from the EVEREST II trial demonstrated that Abbott's investigational MitraClip® system met both its primary safety and effectiveness endpoints, suggesting the minimally invasive MitraClip procedure may be an important treatment option for patients with significant mitral regurgitation.
  Abbott March 14, 2010  
• FDA announces new boxed warning on Plavix  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration added a boxed warning to the anti-blood clotting drug Plavix (clopidogrel), alerting patients and health care professionals that the drug can be less effective in people who cannot metabolize the drug to convert it to its active form.
  FDA March 12, 2010  
• Sanofi-aventis and BMS announce important updates to PLAVIX U.S. prescribing info  Sanofi-aventis U.S. and Bristol-Myers Squibb announced revisions to the U.S. prescribing information for PLAVIX(R) (clopidogrel bisulfate), which include a boxed warning.
  Bristol-Myers Squibb Company March 12, 2010  

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