Cook Medical introduces drug-eluting peripheral stent to treat lesions in the SFA

Cook Medical, a world leader in minimally invasive medical technologies, has launched a first-of-its-kind drug-eluting peripheral stent in Australia, the Zilver^® PTX^® Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent. The device, which is available in more than 50 countries, is registered with Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and is now available to physicians there as a new treatment option for patients with lesions in the SFA, the largest artery in the leg.

“It's really exciting to me that Cook Medical is bringing drug-eluting device technology to the periphery because this is a brand new treatment option for a condition that affects millions worldwide”

"It's really exciting to me that Cook Medical is bringing drug-eluting device technology to the periphery because this is a brand new treatment option for a condition that affects millions worldwide," said Rob Lyles, vice president and global leader of Cook Medical's Peripheral Intervention division. "Many physicians now are convinced drug elution is the future of treating lesions in the leg arteries, and our Australian Zilver PTX launch is an important step in Cook's efforts to bring this advanced treatment to patients and physicians around the world."

The Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent offers physicians treating PAD in the SFA the combination of mechanical support via stenting with the drug paclitaxel to reduce the risk of restenosis (renarrowing) within the vessel.

The Zilver PTX Drug Eluting Stent is under U.S. Food and Drug Administration review and is not available for sale in the United States. It received CE Mark approval for sale in the European Union in August 2009 and is now approved in Japan, Brazil and other international markets.