Boston Scientific to Immediately Resume Distribution of COGNIS® CRT-Ds and TELIGEN® ICDs in the U.S.
On April 15, 2010 Boston Scientific Corporation announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the two validated manufacturing changes affecting all of its cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), and that it will immediately resume distribution of its COGNIS® CRT-Ds and TELIGEN® ICDs. Boston Scientific stated it was positioned to fully meet customer demand for COGNIS and TELIGEN within 24 hours. COGNIS and TELIGEN represent virtually all of the Company's defibrillator implant volume in the United States. Visit the Boston Scientific website to read the announcement.
On March 15 and 16 Boston Scientific submitted the two manufacturing changes to the FDA for the following CRT-D and ICD product families: COGNIS, TELIGEN, CONFIENT™, LIVIAN™, PRIZM™, RENEWAL® and VITALITY™. Solely on its own initiative, Boston Scientific has conducted an internal review of manufacturing and other changes for these products, as well as the associated regulatory submissions. The review found a few additional instances where Boston Scientific did not submit the appropriate documentation for validated manufacturing changes for CONFIENT, LIVIAN, PRIZM, RENEWAL and VITALITY. Boston Scientific has now submitted this documentation and is working closely with the FDA to secure clearances to return CONFIENT, LIVIAN, PRIZM, RENEWAL and VITALITY — the earlier generations of the Company's CRT-D and ICD products — to market as soon as possible in the United States. These products may continue to be implanted in geographies outside the United States.
Boston Scientific 's pacemakers and other products were not affected by the ship hold and product removal actions. Geographies outside the United States were never affected — and remain unaffected — by these actions.
"We are pleased that the FDA has cleared the manufacturing changes, and that we are again able to offer COGNIS and TELIGEN to U.S. patients and physicians," said Ray Elliott, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific. "We are committed to doing the right thing every time, and we acted voluntarily, swiftly and appropriately to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements. Our entire sales force is energized and hard at work!"
Boston Scientific is evaluating the impact of the ship hold and product removal actions on its financial results and will provide an update with the release of its first quarter earnings. These recent actions may have a material impact on the Company's previously issued guidance, including revenue, operating profit and cash flows for the first quarter and full year of 2010.
