Abbott receives EU approval for new vascular scaffold

Abbott has been granted CE Mark approval for a groundbreaking new bioresorbable vascular scaffold device.

The company has been awarded the European safety accreditation mark for the Absorb device, which is designed as the world's first drug-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

It was awarded on the basis of positive results from ongoing clinical trials of the product, with data published so far showing that Absorb is a safe and effective method of restoring blood flow to clogged vessels.

Abbott will continue to study the efficacy of the device among an expanded patient population ahead of its planned commercial European launch in 2012.

Robert Hance, senior vice-president for Abbott's vascular division, said: "Receiving the CE Mark is a significant milestone on the path to providing patients with new treatment options for coronary artery disease."

In November 2010, the company was presented with a 2010 Chicago Innovation Award in honour of its Architect HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay device.