Boston Scientific Welcomes Publication of Landmark Report on Chronic Pain

NATICK, Mass., June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) welcomes the recent landmark report to Congress by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences titled Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Treatment, and Research.  This comprehensive study, mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, identifies pain as a major health problem in the U.S. and lays the foundation for chronic pain care, research and education for the next decade.

"This report will be integral in raising awareness and removing barriers to appropriate care for the more than 100 million Americans suffering from acute and chronic pain," said Michael Onuscheck, President of Boston Scientific's Neuromodulation Division.  "It also validates the positive clinical and patient outcomes we see every day that allow thousands of pain sufferers to return to more normal and productive lives.  As referenced in the report, spinal cord stimulation [SCS] is one of the recognized approaches in treating patients with chronic pain, with improved collaboration between primary care physicians and pain specialists being critical in removing barriers to appropriate care."

Boston Scientific's Precision Plus™ SCS System (www.ControlYourPain.com) is indicated as an aid in managing chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs, including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with failed back surgery syndrome, intractable low back pain and leg pain.  With pain being the most common reason Americans seek medical treatment, tens of thousands of patients with chronic pain have found that SCS systems help them manage their pain.  SCS is a reversible therapy that manages pain through an implantable pulse generator that delivers pulses of electricity to the spinal cord through SCS leads.  It is a clinically proven and cost-effective option for chronic neuropathic pain patients who have failed conventional medical management.

The IOM report highlights a number of important technologies for treating and managing chronic pain, discusses strategies for removing barriers to appropriate care and recommends improvements in pain research, care, education and treatment.  While mandated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, the IOM report has received widespread support from consumer and health organizations, advocacy groups and medical device manufacturers, including Boston Scientific.  The complete report may be accessed at www.iom.edu/relievingpain.

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.

CONTACT:

Erik Kopp


508-650-8660 (office)


Media Relations


Boston Scientific Corporation


erik.kopp@bsci.com




Sean Wirtjes


508-652-5305 (office)


Investor Relations


Boston Scientific Corporation


investor_relations@bsci.com



SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation

Top