TCT data

We report in the November issue of MedMarkets on trials, products and competitor activity at this year's TCT meeting. A great deal of the drug-eluting stent data from the trials demonstrates no appreciable difference between J&J's Cypher and Boston Scientific's TAXUS stents. There are differences in efficacy, some very supportable in the trial data, but there are also differneces essentially in marketing. Boston Scientific has taken the aggressive share-protection step of coming up with its "Taxus Stent Assurance Program" (from our November issue):

In an unusual move—and after a recent decline in market share due to a perception that Cypher has a safer profile—Boston Scientific offered a guarantee in the form of its “TAXUS Stent Assurance Program.” If any patient receiving a TAXUS Express2 stent requires reintervention due to in-stent restenosis during calendar year 2006, the company will provide a replacement stent at no charge.

We also cover embolic protection, a big market that has been developing for some time, and may soon be growing at a much faster clip.