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The 2005 scientific sessions of the American Heart Association (AHA), held here in the group's home city in mid-November, provided a venue for presentation of the latest developments in heart disease management as well as a glimpse of emerging technologies that may play a role in improving the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in the future.
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Reflecting the rapid advances being made in minimally invasive procedures in cardiology, three clinician groups in November issued updated guidelines for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures, essentially referring to balloon angioplasty.
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In an 11th-hour deal, Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) proposed in early December to acquire all the outstanding shares of Guidant (Indianapolis) for a combination of cash and stock worth $72 per Guidant share, nearly a $3 billion increase, or 14% over the $63.43 per share that was offered by Johnson & Johnson (J&J; New Brunswick, New Jersey) in a revised deal outlined in mid-November.
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CABG Medical (Minneapolis) reported in late November that it had suspended enrollment in the international clinical trial of its drug-eluting Holly Graft System (HGS) for facilitating a coronary artery bypass. The system is the company's only product.
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The Bayer HealthCare Diagnostics Division (Tarrytown, New York) and Inverness Medical Innovations (Waltham, Massachusetts) reported signing four agreements to broaden their assay menu offerings worldwide in the diagnostics arena.
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More than 12 million Americans suffer from peri-pheral arterial disease (PAD), prompting the American College of Cardiology (ACC; Bethesda, Maryland) and American Heart Association (AHA; Dallas) to release a set of groundbreaking Peripheral Arterial Disease Guidelines to help physicians and all healthcare professionals better treat this alarmingly common condition.
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Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, California) reported in late November that it has developed a new ap-proach for placing a valve in a beating heart.
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Guidant (Indianapolis) said in mid-December that it had begun enrollment in the Japan arm of its SPIRIT III drug-eluting stent clinical trial, which is evaluating Xience V, an everolimus-eluting coronary stent system that uses Guidant's cobalt chromium Multi-Link Vision coronary stent system rapid-exchange platform.
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Angiotech Pharmaceuticals (Vancouver, British Columbia) reported that it has completed its acquisition of Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, California) Lifespan ePTFE vascular graft business, located in Laguna Hills, California, for $14 million in cash. The deal was first disclosed in November 2005.
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The American College of Cardiology (Bethesda, Maryland) reported that Christine McEntee is no longer CEO of the professional medical society. She had been with ACC for more than seven years. The ACC has initiated a nationwide search for a new chief staff officer. In the meantime, Tom Arend, general counsel, will serve as interim chief staff officer.
