Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc was notified by its corporate partner, Boston Scientific Corporation, that it has received approval for the sale of its Taxus Express2 paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent system in Canada. Boston reported that Health Canada's Therapeutic Products Directorate, the authority that regulates pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices, approved the use of all sizes of the Taxus stent system. Boston said it plans to launch the product immediately in Canada.

"Obviously, as a Canadian company, this is a very important event for Angiotech," said William L. Hunter, president and chief executive officer of Angiotech. "We look forward to bringing this life-saving and innovative technology to Canadians".

Taxus is designed to treat coronary restenosis, the growth of neointimal tissue within an artery after angioplasty and stenting. It has previously been approved for sale in Europe and other international markets and is awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Boston Scientific will announce results from its Taxus IV clinical trial on September 15 at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference in Washington, D.C.