Atrial Fibrillation News and Research

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. A disorder in the heart’s electrical system causes AF and other types of arrhythmia. AF occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical signals in the heart’s two upper chambers, called the atria, cause them to contract very fast and irregularly (this is called fibrillation). As a result, blood pools in the atria and isn’t pumped completely into the heart’s two lower chambers, called the ventricles. When this happens, the heart’s upper and lower chambers don’t work together as they should. Often, people who have AF may not even feel symptoms. However, even when not noticed, AF can lead to an increased risk of stroke. In many patients, particularly when the rhythm is extremely rapid, AF can cause chest pain, heart attack, or heart failure. AF may occur rarely or every now and then, or it may become a persistent or permanent heart rhythm lasting for years.

St. Jude Medical's quadripolar pacing system receives European CE Mark approval

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today announced it has received European CE Mark approval for the industry’s first quadripolar pacing system for cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds). The quadripolar system offers physicians the ability to more effectively and efficiently manage the ever-changing pacing needs of patients with heart failure.

21 Oct 2009

Hansen Medical announces its plan to restate its previous financial results

Hansen Medical, Inc. today announced that it plans to restate its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2008 and for the quarters ended March 31, 2008, June 30, 2008, September 30, 2008, March 31, 2009 and June 30, 2009 in order to correct certain errors, some of which arose from potential irregularities occurring outside of the accounting department, regarding the timing of revenue recognition on the sale of some of its Sensei® Robotic Catheter Systems.

19 Oct 2009

Update from Cardiome Pharma regarding its tender offer

Cardiome Pharma Corp. announced the final results of its modified "Dutch Auction" tender offer to purchase for cancellation up to US$27.5 million of its common shares (the "Offer"), which expired at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 13, 2009.

19 Oct 2009

ATS Medical to exhibit its innovative cardiac surgery products at the EACTS meeting

ATS Medical, Inc., manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services announced a number of professional educational opportunities that will focus on ATS Medical products at the upcoming European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons (EACTS) meeting.

15 Oct 2009

Preliminary results of its tender offer announced by Cardiome Pharma

Cardiome Pharma Corp. announced the preliminary results of its modified "Dutch Auction" tender offer to purchase for cancellation up to US$27.5 million of its common shares (the "Offer"), which expired at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 13, 2009.

14 Oct 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to support research in numerous health areas

As part of the $5 billion in grants announced by President Obama, the National Institutes of Health has granted Kaiser Permanente more than $54 million over two years through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to conduct health research on a multitude of critical public and clinical health areas.

14 Oct 2009

Kaiser Permanente receives $54 million grant from NIH to conduct health research

14 Oct 2009

Melanocyte-like cells in heart and pulmonary veins contribute to atrial fibrillation

The source and mechanisms underlying the abnormal heart beats that initiate atrial fibrillation (Afib), the most common type of abnormal heart beat, have not been well determined. However, a group of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, has now identified a population of cells that are like pigment producing cells in the skin (melanocytes) in the atria of the heart and pulmonary veins of mice and humans and uncovered evidence in mice that these cells contribute to Afib.

13 Oct 2009

Business update from Cardima

Cardima, Inc., a medical device company focused on the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation (“AF”), is providing the following update on its progress, recent activities and upcoming milestones.

12 Oct 2009

Aryx Therapeutics to raise up to $35 million from sale of its common stock

ARYx Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has secured a committed equity financing facility under which it may sell up to $35 million of shares of its common stock to Commerce Court Small Cap Value Fund, Ltd. (“Commerce Court”) over a 24 month period. The maximum number of shares that can be sold by ARYx is specified in the agreement. ARYx is not obligated to utilize any of the $35 million facility and remains free to enter into and consummate other equity and debt financing transactions.

7 Oct 2009

The Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2010 announced at Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit

Cleveland Clinic's Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2010 list features a wide range of new techniques and therapies that are being developed to treat everything from deafness and Parkinson's disease to pneumonia and sleep disorders.

7 Oct 2009

CE Mark approval for AtriClip System

AtriCure, Inc. a medical device company and a leader in cardiac surgical ablation systems, today announced CE Mark approval for its AtriClip Gillinov-Cosgrove Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion System.

7 Oct 2009

Framingham Heart Study receives $1M grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Boston University School of Medicine's (BUSM) Framingham Heart Study (FHS) has received a two-year $1M challenge grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

6 Oct 2009

Group Health Research Institute to receive federal stimulus funds from ARRA

Group Health Research Institute, formerly Group Health Center for Health Studies, will receive more than $15 million in federal stimulus funding from ARRA, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

6 Oct 2009

Hansen Medical to exhibit its Lynx Robotic Ablation Catheter at the workshop on Cardiac Arrhythmias

Hansen Medical, Inc. will showcase its new Lynx Robotic Ablation Catheter for the first time at Venice Arrhythmias 2009, the 11th International Workshop on Cardiac Arrhythmias, Oct. 4-7, in Venice, Italy. The Lynx catheter is a small, flexible irrigated ablation catheter for customers in Europe to offer stability during the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (AF).

5 Oct 2009

St. Jude Medical launches new cardiac rhythm management devices

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today announced it has launched several new cardiac rhythm management devices for the treatment and diagnosis of abnormal heart rhythms.

30 Sep 2009

New anticoagulant therapy has fewer side-effects than warfarin

In an article reviewed by F1000 Medicine Faculty Members Robert Ruff, Brian Olshansky and Luis Ruilope, the blood-thinner dabigatran is shown to protect against stroke, blood clotting and major bleeding as effectively as warfarin, but with fewer side effects.

30 Sep 2009

Study links diabetes to atrial fibrillation in women

Diabetes increases by 26 percent the likelihood that women will develop atrial fibrillation (AF), a potentially dangerous irregular heart rhythm that can lead to stroke, heart failure, and chronic fatigue. These are the findings of a new Kaiser Permanente study, published in the October issue of Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association.

28 Sep 2009

European CHMP recommends marketing approval for Sanofi-aventis' Multaq

Sanofi-aventis announced today that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending to grant a marketing authorization in the European Union for Multaq(R) (dronedarone - 400mg Tablets).

26 Sep 2009

Cardiome Pharma to extend the term of its "Dutch Auction" tender offer

Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME / TSX: COM) ("Cardiome" or the "Company") announced that it will extend the term of its modified "Dutch Auction" tender offer (the "Offer") for up to US$27.5 million of its common shares commenced on September 1, 2009.

26 Sep 2009