Boston Scientific’s Stroke Device Shows Mixed Results
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Boston Scientific Corp.’s Watchman, designed to help prevent strokes in patients with an erratic heartbeat, may be a tougher sell for U.S. regulators after a study failed to confirm the device’s benefit.
The trial presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in San Francisco two days ago found the Watchman could be used more safely than previous research. An initial analysis of the benefit, however, yielded mixed results. It wasn’t as good as the blood thinner warfarin at preventing clots, strokes and deaths in one of three primary analyses of the results.