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AmeriNet (St. Louis, Missouri), a healthcare group purchasing organization, has renewed its immuno- assay agreement with Beckman Coulter (Fullerton, California). The three-year contract is valued at $60 million. The renewal includes pricing agreements for Beckman Coulters entire line of immunoassay systems, test kits, supplies and services.
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A report in the July 29 issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA; Dallas, Texas), says that prevention and education efforts must be pursued to curb the growing trend of hospitalizations for atrial fibrillation (AF) in the U.S.
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Continuing its rapid pace of product approvals, Guidant (Indianapolis, Indiana) last month received the FDA's okay for the newest iteration of its cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) the Contak Renewal 3 system.
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An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a balloon-like enlargement of the aorta, a vessel one-inch (2.5 cm) in diameter that is the largest blood vessel in the body, supplying blood to most organs. An enlarged aorta is considered to be an aneurysm when it expands to 150% of its normal size. On average, an AAA grows about 10% per year or 0.5 cm per year in larger aneurysms (over 6 cms).
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Two powerhouse medical device companies reported significant developments in their cardiovascular stent programs in mid-July, with an emphasis on new, lighter materials. Guidant (Indianapolis, Indiana) gained U.S. approval for a significant new stent and Medtronic (Minneapolis, Minnesota) said it has begun a second trial for its Endeavor drug-eluting stent platform.
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The most striking and deadly example of thrombotic disease is atherosclerosis, in which unwanted clots build up in the coronary arteries that nourish the heart. Also, a clot fragment in a leg can break loose and hitchhike via the bloodstream until it lodges in a lung.
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German news media reported last month that the center-left government headed by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the conservative Christian Democrat opposition had reached agreement on a wide-ranging plan to cut healthcare costs in the country that currently are said to be among the highest in the world. The agreement apparently paves the way for the legislative approvals needed to start implementing the reforms as of Jan. 1 of next year.
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Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Park, Illinois) completed the asset purchase of the coronary and peripheral interventional business line of the Jomed Group (Helsingborg, Sweden) for a cash purchase price of EUR 60 million.
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3F Therapeutics (Lake Forest, California/Brussels, Belgium) reported three additions to its senior management team. LeRoy LeNarz III, MD, has been named vice president of clinical affairs.
