The first device of its kind to undergo clinical evaluation in the United States, the Valiant "Mona LSA" branch thoracic stent graft system from Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) has demonstrated proof of concept in a first-in-human study being conducted under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s "Innovation Pathway" early feasibility pilot program, according to data presented today at the 2013 VEITHsymposium(tm).

Sidra Medical and Research Center today announced that Dr. Ziyad M. Hijazi has been appointed Clinical Chief for Pediatrics. In this role, the pioneering and highly experienced clinician will drive the strategic direction of the Department of Pediatrics and integrate research and education priorities into a program of excellent clinical service delivery. He will also hold the position of Chair of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College – Qatar, Sidra’s partner for medical education.

A new network dedicated to advancing research and therapies for stroke is forming in Chicago thanks to $2 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Chicago Stroke Trials Consortium is a partnership among Northwestern Medicine®, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Loyola University Medical Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Rush University Medical Center, and University of Chicago Medicine that will build an infrastructure to support clinical trials for stroke prevention, treatment and recovery. Northwestern University will be the regional coordinating center for the consortium and administer the project over the next five years.

Results on gastrointestinal tract bleeding in the FDA’s Mini-Sentinel Program are at odds with findings from randomized clinical trials that compared dabigatran and warfarin, a meta-analysis published online Nov. 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine showed.

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESPR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing first-in-class, oral, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering therapies for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, today announced full results of a Phase 2 clinical study of its lead product candidate ETC-1002 in patients with hypercholesterolemia and a history of statin intolerance. The study, ETC-1002-006, met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that ETC-1002 significantly lowered LDL-C compared to placebo by an average of 32 percent and was well tolerated. The data were presented today in an oral presentation at the 2013 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association in Dallas by principal investigator Paul D. Thompson, M.D. Esperion previously announced positive topline results from this study in June 2013.

New research shows that Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) pacemakers with enhanced pacing features have the ability to slow the progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with bradycardia, or a slow heartbeat.

James A. DeWeese, M.D., a pioneer in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery and a former chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Vascular Surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center, died Nov. 14, 2013. He was 88.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced results showing that its investigational fully humanized antibody fragment (Fab) rapidly reversed the anticoagulation effect of dabigatran in healthy male volunteers. These results, presented today during the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013, represent the first clinical data involving the compound, which was discovered and developed by the company (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01955720).