MARLBOROUGH, Mass., July 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing to advance the development of innovative treatment options for coronary artery disease, Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) has received CE Mark and begun the European market launch of the Agent™ Paclitaxel-Coated PTCA Balloon Catheter.  The Agent Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB) provides physicians with an additional alternative to treat both in-stent restenosis (ISR) and de novo small vessel coronary disease.

The Agent DCB combines the deliverability of the Boston Scientific Emerge™ balloon platform and the proven drug paclitaxel.  The Agent DCB also features proprietary TransPax™ coating technology, which combines paclitaxel and a citrate ester excipient designed to maintain drug-coating integrity and maximize drug-transfer efficiency for consistent and predictable drug delivery.

"Boston Scientific is committed to providing the best treatment options for patients with coronary artery disease," said Kevin Ballinger, president, Interventional Cardiology, Boston Scientific.  "We believe the addition of a highly-differentiated DCB to our leading complex percutaneous coronary intervention portfolio strengthens the Boston Scientific position as a global innovator in interventional cardiology therapies."

About Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is a narrowing of the vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart.  Recent statistics from the European Heart Network and the European Society of Cardiology show it is the single most common cause of death in Europe, accounting for 1.8 million deaths per year.  Patients living with coronary heart disease may experience pain, shortness of breath and fatigue.  They may also be at risk for a heart attack.

The Agent Drug-Coated Balloon is not available for sale in the U.S.

About Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world.  As a global medical technology leader for more than 30 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare.  For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "anticipate," "expect," "project," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "intend" and similar words.  These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance.  These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding markets for our products, our business plans, new product launches, product performance and impact, and competitive offerings.  If our underlying assumptions turn out to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements.  These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future (together with other factors) could affect our ability to implement our business strategy and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in this press release.  As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements. 

Factors that may cause such differences include, among other things: future economic, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; new product introductions; demographic trends; intellectual property; litigation; financial market conditions; and future business decisions made by us and our competitors.  All of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control.  For a further list and description of these and other important risks and uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we may update in Part II, Item 1A – Risk Factors in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file hereafter.  We disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.  This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.

CONTACTS: 
Media: Ryan Davenport
Global Media Relations
Boston Scientific Corporation
763-494-2664 (office)
media@bsci.com 

Investors: Susie Lisa, CFA
Investor Relations
Boston Scientific Corporation
508-683-5565 (office)
investor_relations@bsci.com

SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation