Medtronic's Endeavor DES (drug-eluting stent) gains market approval in China:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Medtronic has received regulatory approval for its Endeavor drug-eluting stent (DES) from the government of the People's Republic of China. The zotarolimus (ABT-578) delivering stent is built from a cobalt alloy, based on the same platform as the Driver, its bare metal stent product. It is coated with phosphorylcholine, a polymer which mimics the outside surface of a red blood cell, in order improve healing response. The DES market in China currently stands at around $100m, and some 70,000 implants are performed every year, said the Santa Rosa, California-based firm. The firm received CE-marking for the stent in July 2005, and hopes for PMA approval in the US during 2007.