Medtronic Inc has received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to market its Driver Coronary Stent System in Japan. The Driver stent also received reimbursement coverage effective and is immediately available in Japan in diameters of 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 mm and in lengths of 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, and 30 mm.
The Driver stent is Medtronic's innovative cobalt-based alloy stent, which represents a new generation stent platform that incorporates thinner struts, a low profile and advanced alloy to create a clinically proven, effective stent- therapy option for patients. Since its introduction in the United States and Europe in 2003, the Driver has emerged as a leading cobalt-alloy bare metal stent. The Driver stent will be the first cobalt-alloy stent available in Japan, the company claims in a release.
"We are excited to bring this very important stent technology to the Japanese market," said Scott Ward, president of Medtronic Vascular. "Approval of the Driver stent, in combination with the recent approval of our Sprinter balloon in Japan, positions Medtronic extremely well in the Japanese market. This combination of leading stent and balloon technologies is setting a new standard for dealing with tough coronary lesions. We look forward to introducing the Driver stent in Japan and are confident that this will accelerate Medtronic's market position in this important market," he concluded.
The Driver Coronary Stent leverages Medtronic's long-standing expertise using cobalt chromium alloys, which permits the Driver stent to feature ultra-thin struts, providing physicians with the additional flexibility they need for tracking through tortuous anatomy and for reaching difficult-to-access lesions. The stent's small cells (which each measure around 1 millimeter squared) allow the Driver stent to offer excellent support and coverage of the lesion, even when deployed in tortuous anatomies.
With Driver stent, the physician can precisely place the stent and more clearly view the clinical result within the coronary anatomy.