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Our Bureau

Bangalore , April 16

SPECIAL stents developed in Bangalore may be headed for the European markets soon. Cardiovascular devices manufacturer Vascular Concepts, Bangalore, has announced that it has begun European clinical trials for its drug eluting stent.

Its Pronova brand of stent completed clinical trials in India in February this year. The clinical studies were conducted on 600 patients across leading hospitals in the country. The company said Pronova was found to be safe, easy to use and considerably effective in preventing the recurrence of arterial blockages.

Of the 50,000-odd angioplasties that are conducted in India, 80 per cent need stents. The Rs 35-crore Vascular Concepts holds 25 per cent share of the Indian stent market, which also has major players like Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson.

Vascular Concepts CEO, Mr Swaminathan Jayaraman, said Pronova, their latest product, was making fast inroads into a market dominated by MNCs. It had been implanted in over 2,500 Indian patients and was making rapid strides in a market generally dominated by MNCs at prices about 40 per cent lower than international brands.

The trials were conducted through Jaslok, Hinduja and Lilavati Hospitals in Mumbai; Baroda Heart Institute, Baroda; Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune; and Spandan Heart Institute, Nagpur. In addition, Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, also completed a study on 120 patients.

The European trials will be led by Dr Ischinger, Principal Investigator for the Euronova trial programme.

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