St. Jude Medical says FDA clears vascular plug
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — St. Jude Medical Inc. said Monday that the Food and Drug Administration approved the newest version of its Amplatzer vascular plug.
The plug is designed to be used in surgical procedures where specific blood vessels need to be blocked. St. Jude said there are approximately 50,000 such procedures in the U.S. every year. Unlike other vascular blocking devices, the plug can be delivered to the veins by a standard catheter, which allows physicians to block smaller or harder-to-reach blood vessels.
The Amplatzer plugs are used to block or change blood flow by closing unhealthy blood vessels, which can reduce pressure on damaged or leaking vessels or reduce blood supply to tumors.
St. Jude said this is the fourth design of the Amplatzer plug and said European Union regulators approved the design in 2009.
St. Jude acquired the Amplatzer plug November 2010 when it bought AGA Medical.
Shares of St. Jude Medical, based in St. Paul, Minn., rose $1.51, or 4.3 percent, to close at $37.06.
