Congresses and Meetings

This week’s View From The Med is ready to read… unless you’re a tired ESC delegate wending your way home after another exhausting bash.

Twenty eight point reduction of systolic blood pressure after one month remained stable at three months using EnligHTN renal denervation system according to ESC hotline session data.

OK it’s all work supported by the main industry players, but a registry’s a registry and in Germany it appears that the body of evidence is growing that TAVI is a technique that is gaining ground for all the right reasons and could even usurp conventional surgery in years to come.

Boston Scientific’s Watchman LAA closure device can now be used on patients not able to be given anticoagulant therapy. Also, newly revised European Society of Cardiology guidelines include LAA closure devices.

Registry data presented at ESC suggests MitraClip use is gathering pace, at least for the oldest and sickest patients for whom it is providing an alternative to surgical valve repair.

Maquet Cardiovascular has issued a press release pointing us to the publication at ESC of clinical data which says its intra-aortic counterpulsating balloon shows observable 30 day reduction in mortality. The study size dictated that a 12% reduction was required in order to demonstrate significance, a target which was not reached.

It’s all kicking off at ESC as two journalists get the heave-ho for what looks like an accidental embargo break. Blimey.

Following promising early clinical data CardioFocus has announced that its technology will be highlighted in two presentations during the forthcoming European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich.

It’s a right old game isn’t it? Issue a press release when the study’s announced, another when enrollment’s complete, another suggesting the results are good (this one) and finally another when the results are published in October. And what does a “positive outcome” suggest? No worse? Marginally better? Much better? Stupendously better? Whatever, it’s a fine example of squeezing the PR pips out of a clinical study.

The 15th Medtech Investing Europe Conference takes place in September and as a Medlatest visitor you’re entitled to a helpful 40% discount. Find out more about the event in the full article.

It’s was SNIS 2012 last week, the annual meeting of the Society for Neurointerventional Surgery. Neuro device company Nfocus Neuromedical, Inc., used the occasion to announce positive data from an ongoing clinical study of the company’s Luna Aneurysm Embolization System (AES).

Expanding Orthopedics’ innovative pedicle screw system saw its 12 month clinical study published as an e-poster at SRS last weekend. Despite not being a comparative study, results from the ten patients suggest the device may offer earlier pain reduction and improved clinical outcomes compared with standard pedicle screws.

Cayenne medical has chosen the annual AOSSM meeting at which to launch its full line of anchors which it says are designed to answer market demand for improved procedural technique and cost- efficiency

Endometrial preparation does not seem to impact on success of EmbryoGlue, from Swedish fertility company Vitrolife, as study presented at ESHRE conference shows significant pregnancy rate improvement in all cases.

Data released on six month randomised, multi-centre trial of EndoBarrier® versus control in obese, type 2 diabetic subjects suggests the device, as well as being well tolerated does result in statistically significant reduced blood sugar levels and weight loss.

The news that FDA’s MAUDE database of adverse events has reported an “externalisation” of St.Jude’s new and improved ICD lead is bad timing and bad news for the company.