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| Boston Scientific is launching its OptiCross catheter in the U.S., Europe and Japan.--Courtesy of Boston Scientific |
Boston Scientific ($BSX) is rolling out a next-generation imaging catheter in the U.S., Europe and Japan after gaining multiple clearances and approvals from the respective countries and regions.
A new, improved imaging catheter reflects the struggling Massachusetts medical devices giant's ongoing strategy of aggressively rolling out new products and snatching up promising companies and technologies in a bid to reverse sluggish or declining sales and revenue.
The product is also key because of the sector it could potentially bolster. Boston Scientific bills the OptiCross intravascular ultrasound catheter as being a worthwhile update due to "better deliverability" and its ability to enable "higher resolution imaging" for complex coronary procedures. That may be, but during the 2013 first quarter, interventional cardiology sales dropped substantially in the face of global declines in procedures and ongoing reimbursement pressures, following years of declines. So anything that Boston Scientific can do to spark an uptick in cardiology procedures to counter this--and boost the use of cardiology-related products overall--would be a good thing.
Executives are subsequently making a lot of noise with the product rollout, which is already under way in the U.S. and Europe following FDA clearance and a CE mark. While Japanese approval is also in place, Boston Scientific plans to unveil the product there within a few weeks. Meanwhile, executives plan to announce 2013 second-quarter earnings on July 25, and we'll see then how the company's ongoing turnaround strategy continues to fare.
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