Stent Makers to Provide Info to Lawmakers

Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson’s Cordis Corp. said Monday  that they would provide information about their drug-coated heart stents to a government oversight committee, the Associated Press reported.

The companies each said they received an information request about the devices from the House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and that they would cooperate with the committee.

In separate letters to Natick, MA-based Boston Scientific and Cordis of New Brunswick, NJ, Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman requested information about trials and others studies related to the stents after a Food and Drug Administration panel raised concerns about the safety of drug-coated stents in December.

Last September, Boston Scientific said it found a slightly higher risk of blood clotting in patients implanted with its newer drug-coated stents compared with older bare-metal versions. Taxus sales have fallen off since then.