Boston Scientific nails clearance for microcatheter on two continents

Beyond layoffs and acquisitions, Boston Scientific ($BSX) continues to advance new products through global regulatory approvals in an ongoing effort to restore robust revenue growth. The latest entry is a new microcatheter, which now has FDA clearance in the U.S. and a CE mark in Europe.

The Massachusetts device company said that its Direxion Torqueable Microcatheter will make it easier for physicians using peripheral embolization to treat conditions such as liver cancer and uterine fibroids. To accomplish this, a blood vessel is blocked to stop blood flow to a particular part of a body, starving a tumor or isolating an aneurysm, Boston Scientific explained. And the Direxion microcatheter is meant to help accomplish this more easily, so surgeons can do their job and deliver the diagnostic or therapeutic materials they need.

Among the new bells and whistles are multiple tip shapes and pre-loaded configurations.

Separately, Boston Scientific won a CE mark this week to use its Vercise deep brain stimulation system to treat a neurological movement disorder known as dystonia, beyond its initial CE mark to treat Parkinson's disease. The company is also gearing up for a hearing before an FDA panel of experts on Dec. 11, where it will make its case for the regulatory approval of Watchman, a device designed to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Boston Scientific's 2013 third quarter revenue reached $1.7 billion, flat over the previous year. The company also lost $5 million, a marked improvement over a $664 million net loss over the same period in 2012. Along with its third-quarter earnings, Boston Scientific announced plans to slash between 1,100 and 1,500 jobs as part of an ongoing "strategic growth initiative" that redirects more resources, in part toward more product development.

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