Boston Scientific Announces First Implantations of OMEGA(TM) Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System in the UK

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Third-Generation Bare-Metal Stent Implanted in the UK

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced the first implant in the UK of the OMEGA(TM) Platinum Chromium Bare-Metal Coronary Stent System which recently received CE Mark approval. The first implant was performed by Dr Neal Uren, Consultant Cardiologist, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

The OMEGA Stent System incorporates a unique platinum chromium (PtCr) alloy designed specifically for coronary stenting and is intended to provide interventional cardiologists a bare-metal stent with improved acute performance in treating patients with coronary artery disease.

"Omega is a highly deliverable stent, with fantastic conformability to the natural shape of the vessel. The Platinum Chromium alloy also provides excellent strength and radiopacity. In my opinion, these qualities highlight Omega as a definite step-up in the Bare Metal stent market" said Dr. Neal Uren

The OMEGA Stent System is part of the Company's PtCr Stent series, which includes the TAXUS(R) Element(TM) Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent and PROMUS Element(TM) Everolimus-Eluting Stent Systems. All three stents feature the novel PtCr alloy and an innovative stent design, which combine to offer greater radial strength and flexibility while reducing stent recoil. The higher density alloy provides superior visibility while permitting thinner struts compared to prior-generation stents[1]. The enhanced delivery system features a dual-layer balloon and is engineered to improve access to challenging lesions.

The OMEGA Stent is offered in 48 different sizes ranging in diameter from 2.25 mm to 4.50 mm and lengths of 8 mm to 32 mm.

"The platinum chromium PROMUS Element Stent has been well received by UK Interventional Cardiologists since its launch in November 2009, and we are pleased to offer a bare-metal coronary stent built on the same PtCr platform," said Tim Coutts, General Manager, UK Group, Boston Scientific. "The OMEGA Stent is the latest example of our commitment to continued innovation in coronary stenting. We are confident our platinum chromium technology will strengthen our leadership position in the UK Interventional Cardiology Market."

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the main causes of death in Europe and the European Union (EU)[2]. Over a third of deaths from CVD are from Coronary Heart Diseases (CHD). CHD is the most common cause of death in the EU.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when atherosclerotic plaque (hardening of the arteries) builds up in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. The atherosclerotic process causes significant narrowing in one or more coronary arteries - and if this is followed by the formation of a blot clot (thrombus) on top of the plaque, the artery becomes completely blocked which may cause a heart attack. The interruption of oxygen and nutrition supply due to a heart attack leads to ischemia and subsequent necrosis of heart tissue and can lead to the death of the affected person.

CAD can be treated with either combination of drug therapy and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty. PCI is the use of balloon angioplasty and bare-metal stents (BMS) or drug-eluting stents (DES), a stent coated with a drug. This procedure generally takes about 90 minutes and is done with local anaesthesia on patients who are mildly sedated.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties. For more information, please visit: http://www.bostonscientific.com.

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Factors that may cause such differences include, among other things: future economic, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; new product introductions; demographic trends; intellectual property; litigation; financial market conditions; and future business decisions made by us and our competitors. All of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control. For a further list and description of these and other important risks and uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I, Item 1A - Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we may update in Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file hereafter. We disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.

    
    CONTACT:

    Mark McIntyre
    Boston Scientific Ltd
    Director Public Affairs
    +44(0)7717-300167

    [1] Based on bench testing. Data on file with Boston Scientific.
    [2] http://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/resources/atlas/en/