Healthcare Industry News: hemodialysis
News Release - February 10, 2010
NEJM Publishes Trial Results Demonstrating Bard FLAIR(R) Endovascular Stent Graft is Superior to Balloon Angioplasty for Failing Dialysis Grafts
MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--C. R. Bard, Inc. (NYSE: BCR ) today announced the publication of trial results by The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) showing the Bard FLAIR® Endovascular Stent Graft maintains the patency of dialysis access grafts more effectively than balloon angioplasty alone. The FLAIR® Endovascular Stent Graft is the only implant approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of stenoses at the venous anastomosis of ePTFE or other synthetic arteriovenous access grafts.The 190 patient randomized trial was the first to demonstrate the superiority of a new therapy over balloon angioplasty. At six months, the treatment area of patients who received a FLAIR® stent graft was more than twice as likely to be functioning when compared to patients who received balloon angioplasty alone. Adverse events, patient demographics and clinical variables were statistically equivalent between both groups during the trial.
“This is a game-changing trial,” said Ziv Haskal M.D., Chief of the Vascular and Interventional Radiology Division at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore and principal investigator. “For the first time, clinicians have compelling evidence that we can significantly improve outcomes over balloon angioplasty in this underserved and difficult-to-treat patient population. The durable benefit we observed in the trial, as demonstrated by superior patency and freedom from repeat interventions, strongly supports a fundamental change in how we care for hemodialysis patients.”
Timothy M. Ring, chairman and chief executive officer, commented, “The publication of the FLAIR® trial in The New England Journal of Medicine speaks to the rigor of the trial, the relevance of the resultant data and the impact this technology could have on the care of hemodialysis patients. It also has important implications for the healthcare system as our aging population intersects with increasing pressure to control costs and the desire for better evidence-based medicine.”
C. R. Bard, Inc., (www.crbard.com) headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., is a leading multinational developer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative, life-enhancing medical technologies in the fields of vascular, urology, oncology and surgical specialty products.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based on management’s current expectations, the accuracy of which is necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties. These statements are not historical in nature and use words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “forecast”, “plan”, “believe”, and other words of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Many factors may cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results including product developments, sales efforts, income tax matters, the outcomes of contingencies such as legal proceedings, and other economic, business, competitive and regulatory factors. The company undertakes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information in Bard’s September 30, 2009 Form 10-Q for more detailed information about these and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied.
Source: C. R. Bard
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