Abbott Xience stent bests rival device

LIBERTYVILLE TOWNSHIP -- Abbott Laboratories' drug-coated Xience stent prevented heart attacks, kept arteries open and avoided the need for repeat surgeries almost twice as well as Boston Scientific Corp.'s rival device, according to a study. The largest-ever trial on Abbott's experimental stent, released Tuesday at the EuroPCR scientific conference in Barcelona, Spain, found 45 percent fewer deaths, heart attacks and follow-up procedures after two years among 1,002 patients who received Xience, compared with those who got Boston Scientific's Taxus, the world's best-selling stent.