NATICK, Mass., Oct. 12 /CNW/ --

Company plans to launch product immediately

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced that Health Canada's Therapeutic Products Directorate (TPD) has licensed the PROMUS® Everolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent System for sale in Canada. The Company said it plans to launch the product immediately. The PROMUS Stent is currently for sale in the United States, Europe and other international markets.

The introduction of the PROMUS Stent in Canada expands Boston Scientific's drug-eluting stent (DES) portfolio in that market, where the TAXUS® Liberte® Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System is already offered. Boston Scientific is the only company to offer physicians the choice of two distinct drugs (paclitaxel and everolimus) on separate DES platforms.

"The PROMUS Stent has shown excellent deliverability, low late loss and the potential to reduce the need for re-interventions," said Dr. Eric Cohen, Director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory, Sunnybrook Heath Sciences Center in Toronto. "These benefits should make the PROMUS Stent an attractive treatment option for Canadian physicians and their patients."

The PROMUS Stent is a highly deliverable stent made from cobalt chromium, designed with thinner struts that do not sacrifice strength or visibility. The SPIRIT clinical trials indicate that the combination of the polymer/stent platform and the controlled release of the everolimus drug on the PROMUS Stent results in excellent deliverability, a strong safety profile and low levels of late loss.

Positive results for the PROMUS Stent were reported from the SPIRIT III clinical trial at this year's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in San Francisco, reaffirming the proven long-term safety and efficacy of the PROMUS Stent at three years.

"The PROMUS Stent complements our broad DES portfolio and further reinforces the leadership of Boston Scientific in the DES market as well as our commitment to continued innovation," said David McFaul, Boston Scientific Senior Vice President, International. "We are delighted that Canadian physicians and patients can now benefit from this highly advanced technology for the treatment of coronary artery disease."

The PROMUS Stent is a private-labeled XIENCE V® Everolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent System manufactured by Abbott and distributed by Boston Scientific. The SPIRIT clinical trial program is sponsored by Abbott.

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties.