A long-term worldwide patient data shows new J & J Cypher Sirolimus-eluting coronary stent reduces need for coronary bypass surgery. The findings show that this stent sharply reduces the need for repeat artery-clearing procedures that are associated with bare metal stents.

The findings, presented this week at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 52nd Scientific Session in Chicago, reaffirm the continued, unprecedented performance of J & J's Cypher Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent in patients with previously untreated coronary artery blockages. Cordins Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company, funded the three studies.

In fact, Cypher is the only stent that has been clinically research in over 40 trials covering over 1,400 patients. To date, it has been used to treat over 50,000 patients worldwide that is the only stent with long-term results of upto 3 years. Stents are stainless spring like tubes that are inserted non-surgically into the arteries and across the blockages to keep them open.

Introduced in India by Cordis immediately after its successful launch in Europe in 2002, Cypher Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent has proved remarkably successful in keeping arteries from reclogging and reduces the chance of blockage by over 90%, unlike the earlier generation of bare metal stents which were not drug coated. It is now available in nearly 60 countries worldwide. In the US, Cypher is currently under final stage review by the FDA after receiving unanimous recommendation for approval by the FDA's Circulation System Device Panel in October 2002.

In India, about 3,000 patients have benefited from the Cypher stents. Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi alone has administered more than 800 Cypher Sirolimus drug-eluting stent implants - the highest number of implants in Asia-Pacific.

Dr. Ashok Seth, Head of Cardiology, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, and Padmashree recipient, who has implanted more than 700 stents and among the largest users of the Cypher Sirolimus drug-eluting stent in Asia-Pacific, said: "In my own practice I have used a large number of Cypher Sirolimus drug-eluting stents. The data presented at the ACC session in Chicago reaffirms that Cypher is the only drug-eluting coronary stent whose performance is unparalleled-both in terms of clinical efficacy and patient safety. It is the only drug-eluting stent that has clinically proven itself for use in patients with complex coronary conditions and high risk factors such as diabetes, long lesions and small vessels, which are often witnessed in real world patient populations.

Moreover, Dr. Seth noted, Cypher was the only stent whose performance has been clinically documented and supported by two large-scale randomized, double-blind controlled clinical studies.