Antiplatelet agent ticagrelor (Brilinta, AstraZeneca) reduces death rates without increasing bleeding compared with the current standard treatment of clopidogrel for heart attack patients, based on the PLATO-Invasive trial published online Jan. 13 in the Lancet. An accompanying commentary describes the introduction of ticagrelor as a landmark event that should redefine the care of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

The Medicines Company, makers of bivalirudin (Angiomax), will close its Indianapolis worksite and slash 10 percent of its overall jobs, leaving 31 employed, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Cardiovascular Research Technologies is an interventional cardiology boutique conference that is focusing this years content on how clinical, economic and regulatory considerations will Impact Clinical Practice, said course chairman Ron Waksman, MD, in an interview. The conference takes place Feb. 21-23 in Washington, D.C.

The Medicines Company has filed lawsuits against Teva Parenteral Medicines, Pliva Hrvatska and related entities in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging patent infringement based on abbreviated new drug applications seeking FDA approval to market generic versions of its bivalirudin (Angiomax) product prior to patent expiration.

Technology, leadership and the willingness to be humble make this operation one of the best.

Pre-market approval by the FDA of cardiovascular devices is often based on studies that lack adequate strength or may have been prone to bias, according to a study in the Dec. 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers found that of nearly 80 high-risk devices, the majority received approval based on data from a single study.

The use of Abiomeds Impella 2.5, a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) used peri-procedurally, is a safe and feasible mechanism for hemodynamic support, a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found.

In heart attack patients, risk of hospital admission for bleeding increases with the number of antithrombotic drugs used. Patients with non-fatal bleeding are also much more likely to suffer repeat heart attacks or die than those without non-fatal bleeding, based on an analysis of more than 40,000 Danish patients published Dec. 10 in the Lancet