Review of 2008: Innovation in ICDs continues amid calls for more strenuous testing
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
2008 was a tempestuous year for developers of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), small battery-powered devices that detect cardiac arrhythmia and correct it by delivering an electric shock. The year started with ICD companies in a difficult position; October 2007 had seen the disastrous recall, amid safety concerns, of Medtronic's Sprint Fidelis ICD lead. Whilst Medtronic has recovered from this to a large degree, the sector in general has been buffeted by negative trial results and calls for more stringent regulation of the devices and their peripherals.