Studies Say Newer Stents for Arteries Show Promise By BARNABY J. FEDER Published: September 5,

Newer drug-coated stents Makers of stents and many cardiologists who implant them said yesterday that reports at this year’s major meeting of European cardiologists bolstered their confidence in the safety of the newer drug-coated versions of the devices, which are used to prop open coronary arteries.stentsmajor meeting “It’s clear that the benefits outweigh the risks,” said Dr. Bonnie H. Weiner, a cardiologist in Worcester, Mass., who is the president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, the leading professional society in the United States for such specialists. “The data this year is [sic] much more consistent with people’s clinical experience.” Two major studies reported at last year’s meeting of the European group, in Barcelona, raised questions about the safety of the drug- coated stents and helped cause a decline in their use.

May halt decline in stent sales The findings this year were far from decisive enough to end all debate about when to use the newer drug-coated stents rather than older and cheaper bare metal versions — or whether all stents are used in too many cases when drugs or bypass surgery would serve patients better. But they may help halt the decline in stent sales, which hit nearly $6 billion globally last year but have since fallen sharply. They are forecast to be as much as $1 billion lower this year in the United States alone.

The Economics Key, of course, is marginal costs, marginal benefits. Comparing two different interventions, they may have similar benefits – if so, we want the intervention with lower costs. Averted costs can be considered as a benefit.

Graphically $ # of Interventions S (how?) D (how?) I*

Graphically $ # of Interventions S (how?) D (how?) I* $ # of Interventions S' (why?) D' (why?) I*I** Surplus 1 Additional Surplus