Singapore, Mar 17, 2010: Abbott announced positive 30-day results from the first 101 patients enrolled in the second phase of the ABSORB trial. Patients treated with Abbott's bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS), under clinical investigation in Europe, demonstrated no cases of blood clots (thrombosis), no need for repeat procedures (ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization) and a very low rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE(1) rate of 2.0 percent) at 30 days.

These results build on the long-term success Abbott has seen with the BVS technology in the first phase of the ABSORB trial, which has generated positive data on 30 patients out to three years. Data from the second phase of the trial was presented at the American College of Cardiology's 59th annual scientific session in Atlanta.

"The positive 30-day results reaffirm my belief that a device that bioresorbs, or disappears, into the body after restoring blood flow is the next logical step in the treatment of cardiovascular disease," said Dr Patrick W. Serruys, professor of interventional cardiology at the Thoraxcentre, Erasmus University Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and principal investigator for the ABSORB trial. "The continuing positive results of the ABSORB trial and the clinical benefits demonstrated to date by Abbott's bioresorbable technology show promise that a bioresorbable scaffold is on its way to becoming a clinical reality and will be the next revolution in interventional cardiology."

This second phase of the ABSORB clinical trial (Cohort B) enrolled 101 patients from 12 centers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and incorporates device enhancements designed to improve deliverability and vessel support. Abbott is the only company with long-term, three-year clinical data on a complete patient set evaluating the safety and performance of a fully bioresorbable drug eluting scaffold.

"The encouraging 30-day results show that Abbott's BVS is able to restore blood flow with no cases of blood clots or repeat procedure, suggesting that there could be important clinical benefits for patients," said Dr Charles A. Simonton, divisional vice president, Medical Affairs, and chief medical officer, Abbott Vascular. "If Abbott's bioresorbable technology continues to perform well in clinical trials, it has the potential to become the new standard of care for patients with coronary artery disease."

Abbott's investigational BVS is made of polylactide, a proven biocompatible material that is commonly used in medical implants such as dissolving sutures. The bioresorbable technology is designed to restore blood flow by opening a clogged vessel and providing support until it is healed. Once the vessel can remain open without the extra support, the bioresorbable scaffold is designed to be slowly metabolized by the body, and is completely dissolved over time. Since a permanent implant is not left behind, a vessel treated with BVS has the ability to ultimately move, flex and pulsate similar to an untreated vessel. The potential to restore these naturally occurring vessel functions, or vascular restoration therapy, is what makes Abbott's BVS unique in the field of cardiology.