Abbott Vascular's Xience Xpedition 48 Receives CE Mark Approval to Treat Very Long Lesions

May 21, 2013—Abbott Vascular (Santa Clara, CA) announced European CE Mark approval for the Xience Xpedition 48 everolimus-eluting coronary stent system for the treatment of very long blockages in coronary arteries. In Europe, the Xience Xpedition is available in diameters ranging from 2.25 mm to 4 mm, including a 3.25-mm diameter, and in lengths ranging from 8 mm to 48 mm.

According to the company's press release, the 48-mm length of the new Xpedition device from Abbott Vascular's family of Xience drug-eluting stents provides an alternative to using multiple shorter-length stents to treat long lesions. The company noted that the use of a single stent instead of multiple stents may result in several procedural benefits, including the use of fewer devices, less x-ray exposure during the procedure, and reduced procedure time, which could lead to economic benefits.

“With global economic pressures impacting hospitals and health care systems around the world, products like Xience Xpedition 48 may provide important cost savings to the system,” commented Pieter C. Smits, MD, in Abbott Vascular's press release. Dr. Smits is Head of Interventional Cardiology at Maasstad Ziekenhuis in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. "I believe that this new treatment option, backed by the robust clinical outcomes of the XIENCE family of drug-eluting stents, will help physicians in the treatment of long lesions.”

Xience Xpedition 48 is supported by clinical evidence from Abbott Vascular's Xience family of drug-eluting stents, including data from more than 53,000 patients across more than 100 studies with long-term outcomes out to 5 years, the company stated.