Cook Medical introduces Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent in Canada

Cook Medical launched its Zilver^® PTX^® Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent in Canada at the Canadian Interventional Radiology Association (CIRA) meeting in Montreal, Canada. It's the first drug-coated stent in Canada indicated to treat peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the superficial femoral artery (SFA).

"Launching Zilver PTX in Canada brings the benefits of drug-eluting stents to Canadian PAD patients," said Mark Breedlove, vice president of Cook Medical's Peripheral Intervention clinical division. "We're very pleased to be the company that introduces this technology in Canada."

The device is a self-expanding metal stent coated with the drug paclitaxel. The drug is absorbed by the surrounding tissues to prevent the growth of scar tissue that can reclog the artery. It is indicated for use in treating new or recurring lesions as long as 140 mm per leg. In Canada, Zilver PTX is sold in 40, 60, 80 and 100 mm lengths and in 6 and 7 mm diameters.

Four-year data from the international Zilver PTX randomized trial show 75.0 percent of patients treated with Zilver PTX maintained blood flow in the SFA at four years. That compares to 57.9 percent patency for patients who received a bare-metal Zilver stent.

Since its initial launch in 2009 in Europe, Zilver PTX has been used to treat more than 25,000 PAD patients. The device is now available in more than 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. For more information, go to Zilver PTX.