Press Releases

Today, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) published new stroke treatment guidelines that recommend the use of stent retriever technology - such as Medtronic plc's (NYSE: MDT) SolitaireTM stent retriever device - in conjunction with the current standard of care, IV-tPA, as a first-line treatment for eligible patients.

Selected for nearly one of every two endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs globally, the Endurant AAA stent graft system from Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) maintained durable, consistent and proven outcomes through five years of follow-up in the company’s U.S. clinical study of the implantable medical device, according to new clinical data presented today at the Society for Vascular Surgery’s “Vascular Annual Meeting.”

Thoratec Corporation, a world leader in mechanical circulatory support therapies to save, support and restore failing hearts, announced that the FDA has granted conditional approval for a U.S. IDE clinical trial to investigate use of the HeartMate PHP acute catheter-based heart pump in patients undergoing a high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention.

Awards presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2015 Scientific Sessions in San Diego recognize outstanding SCAI members for their ongoing contributions to the field of interventional cardiology, the Society and patient care. Honorees span a broad spectrum of practitioners, all of whom have demonstrated a commitment to excellence throughout their careers, helping to shape the Society as well as the lives of patients and mentees.

A new guide helps healthcare professionals better understand and diagnose strokes of unknown cause. The free resource is part of an American Heart Association/American Stroke Association initiative in collaboration with Medtronic plc which aims to reduce the rate of recurrent strokes in the U.S.

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced important new data presented during the Heart Rhythm Society's (HRS) 36th annual Scientific Session supporting improved outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the CardioMEMS™ HF System for the management of Class III heart failure patients.

The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) has released a first-of-its-kind expert consensus statement on three specific cardiovascular disorders that also involve the autonomic nervous system. The 2015 Heart Rhythm Society Expert Consensus Statement on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia, and Vasovagal Syncope was written by an international group of experts and presented today at Heart Rhythm 2015, the Heart Rhythm Society’s 36th Annual Scientific Sessions.

AstraZeneca today announced a collaboration with the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) in Quebec, Canada, to search the genomes of up to 80,000 patients for genes associated with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, their complications and treatment outcomes. This is one of the largest such screens of its type to date and will drive understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying these conditions and their complications. The analysis will also uncover which genetic traits are linked to better treatment outcomes.

Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) has just released the first-ever electrophysiology (EP) and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) standards for accreditation. Driven by the latest available clinical evidence, the EP and ICD standards are a comprehensive review of interventional procedures in patients and adults with heart rhythm disorders.

Abbott and GE Healthcare today announced an agreement that will bring real-time, patient-specific data about the heart's electrical activity to cardiac electrophysiology labs around the world to speed up the diagnosis of the sources of atrial fibrillation and other heart rhythm disorders.

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced CE Mark approval of expanded labelling for its Ellipse™ implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), in addition to its Durata™ and Optisure™ defibrillation leads, allowing existing or future patients with these technologies to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans without compromising device performance. The company also announced today that it has received CE Mark approval for its Assurity MRI™ and Endurity MRI™ pacemaker device families. The approvals further expand St. Jude Medical’s MRI-conditional device portfolio in Europe. 

Boston Scientific today announced that key data from 42 abstracts will be featured at the 36th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) in Boston on May 13-16.

As the healthcare environment changes, interventional cardiologists and cath lab professionals have many reasons to be optimistic about the future of the specialty and their ability to help patients live longer and feel better, according to James C. Blankenship, MD, MHCM, FSCAI, MACC. Dr. Blankenship was inducted today as the 39th president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) during its 2015 Scientific Sessions. 

Medtronic plc today announced its schedule of notable clinical studies that will be presented at Heart Rhythm 2015, the Heart Rhythm Society's 36th Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston, including two late-breaking clinical trials featuring the Evera MRI® SureScan® implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) System and Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS).

The Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) has just released the first-ever congenital heart disease (CHD) standards for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (PCCL) accreditation. Driven by the latest available clinical evidence, the CHD standards are a comprehensive review of interventional procedures in pediatric patients and adults with congenital heart disease.

Boston Scientific announces the signing of two strategic agreements to advance the company's efforts to bring value based solutions aimed at improving outcomes and reducing the cost of cardiovascular care delivery to healthcare systems.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review to the Biologics License Application (BLA) for idarucizumab, which is being investigated to specifically reverse the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran, the active ingredient in Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) in patients needing emergency intervention or experiencing an uncontrolled or life-threatening bleeding event. The idarucizumab BLA will be reviewed under Accelerated Approval and is the first review for a reversal agent in the novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) class. Currently, no NOACs have an approved reversal agent.

Today the founders of VasCore, The Vascular Ultrasound Core Laboratory, announce the opening of the VasCore Training & Education Center (VTEC).

Medtronic plc today announced the start of a new feasibility study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Valiant Mona LSA branch thoracic stent graft system, an investigational medical device designed to enable a completely endovascular solution for aortic aneurysms encroaching on the left subclavian artery (LSA).

The Harvard Clinical Research Institute (HCRI) has been selected by the American College of Cardiology to be the Data Analytic Center for the atrial fibrillation (AF) platform of the ACC PINNACLE Registry. 

Siemens Healthcare has launched its new portable and compact ACUSON P500TM ultrasound system, FROSK edition, enabling rapid imaging even in difficult scanning conditions. The hand-held technology can be easily carried and positioned in a range of clinical environments and is ready to image in less than 30 seconds, making it ideal for emergency settings. The system introduces two new advanced technologies that ensure sharp ultrasound images, regardless of patient and probe motion.