Heparin-Coated Coronary Stent

A new coronary stent with a proprietary heparin coating is designed to improve luminal diameter in the treatment of abrupt or threatened vessel closure in patients with coronary artery disease for whom interventional therapy has failed. The stent, called Bx Velocity, has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The heparin coating, called Hepacoat, consists of end-point heparin firmly attached to the stent due to covalent bonding. The heparin interacts freely with the bloodstream and retains its properties for periods lasting several months once implanted. This long-term bioactivity, coupled with the stable heparin coating remaining on the stent's surface, differentiates Hepacoat from other coatings designed to improve the hemocompatibility of the stent, according to the developer, Cordis Corp. (Miami, FL, USA). Hepacoat has been widely tested on Cordis coronary stents in major U.S. and global clinical trials.

"Now, another new generation of coated stents is entering clinical evaluation and will offer the potential for a truly dramatic change in outcomes following stent implantation,” said Brian Firth, M.D., vice president, medical affairs and health economics, Cordis.



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