Contributed by Ron Gara| 07 March, 2005 15:34 GMT
"Good science asks a single, unambiguous question,
A head-to-head comparison of the Cypher stent and the Taxus stent failed to meet its primary endpoint,
Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP) said Sunday at the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session. Angiotech is the manufacturer of the Taxus stent. Johnson & Johnson, which sponsored the "Reality trial," makes the Cypher stent. Stents are drug-coated, tiny mesh tubes that keep arteries open, helping coronary patients avoid bypass surgery.
Boston Scientific acquired worldwide exclusive rights from Angiotech to use paclitaxel to coat its coronary stent products and has co-exclusive rights to other vascular and non-vascular products.
Since its inception, the Taxus stent consistently has demonstrated a high level of safety, according to Angiotech, which touted results of Taxus V, a study that enrolled 1,156 patients.
Dueling Studies
Angiotech criticized the Reality trial as biased, saying it was not blinded to the doctor placing the stent or the lab analyzing the data, and said it failed to meet its primary endpoint. Antiotech referred to Johnson & Johnson's research as "predictable and desperate."
"Looking for minor trends in a study that failed is fraught with problems," Angiotech says in a statement, "and rarely yields anything meaningful." Claiming favorable angiographic trends, for example, ignores the obvious issue typically seen in Cypher trials, the company continues, which is the delayed dilatation of blood vessels -- a potentially toxic effect.
One Question
Despite the fact that the Reality trial was sponsored by its competition, Angiotech notes, the efficacy of its Taxus stent was excellent.
"Good science asks a single, unambiguous question," says William Hunter, MD, MSc, President and CEO of Angiotech, "in this case, 'Is Cypher superior to Taxus?' and despite the obvious limitations of this study, the resounding answer was 'No.'" |
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