NATICK, Mass., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced that its newly acquired subsidiary, Asthmatx, Inc., was awarded the 2010 Popular Science "Best of What's New" Award in the Health category for its Alair^® Bronchial Thermoplasty System.  The awards recognize breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap forward in their respective categories.

"For 23 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us − those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what's possible in the future," said Mark Jannot, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science.  "The Best of What's New Award is the magazine's top honor, and the 100 winners − chosen from among thousands of entrants − represent the highest level of achievement in their fields."

"Asthmatx is honored to have received the Best of What's New Award for our Alair System as recognition of our work toward improving the current standard of care for adult patients with severe asthma," said Glen French, Chief Executive Officer of Asthmatx.  "We are pleased that Popular Science has recognized this first of-its-kind interventional treatment option for its potential to improve the quality of life in patients with severe asthma while helping to substantially reduce medical costs."

The Alair System, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in April, is a bronchoscopic procedure routinely performed under moderate sedation with patients typically returning home the same day.  It delivers thermal energy to the airway wall in a precisely controlled manner to reduce excessive airway smooth muscle.  The procedure is designed to decrease the ability of the airways to constrict, thereby reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.  Clinical data show bronchial thermoplasty is safe and effective in the management of severe persistent asthma in patients 18 years and older whose asthma is not well controlled with drugs (inhaled medications).

About Asthma

Asthma is one of the most common and costly diseases in the world.  The prevalence of asthma has grown in recent decades, and there is no cure.  According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, more than 20 million Americans have asthma.  Managing asthma consumes more than $18 billion of health care resources each year in the U.S.  Uncontrolled asthma results in approximately 10 million unscheduled physician office visits, 2 million emergency rooms visits, 500,000 hospitalizations and 4,000 deaths annually in the U.S.  Five to 10 percent of those suffering from asthma in the U.S. are diagnosed with severe persistent asthma.

About Asthmatx

Asthmatx Inc., a Boston Scientific Company, is focused on helping patients breathe easier.  Asthmatx has developed a catheter-based outpatient procedure that provides long-lasting and improved asthma control for adult severe asthma patients.  For more information, please visit www.BTforAsthma.com or www.bronchialthermoplasty.com.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties.  For more information, please visit: www.bostonscientific.com.  

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 new product launches and launch cadence, regulatory approvals, clinical trials, product performance 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.

SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation