Boston Scientific device hits goal in heart failure trial

Boston Scientific Corp., the Natick medical device maker, said on Tuesday that a large clinical trial showed early intervention with implantable devices called cardiac resynchronization therapy can slow the progression of heart failure.

Shares of Boston Scientific rose 7.8 percent to $9.96 after the long-awaited study results were released.

The results could significantly expand the market for the devices, which coordinate heart pumping through electrical pulses, beyond use for the sickest heart failure patients.

The MADIT-CRT study of more than 1,800 patients met its main goal, finding that the CRT devices when combined with a defibrillator cut the risk of death or heart failure interventions by 29 percent compared with defibrillators alone.

The trial looked at early-stage heart failure patients who already have an defibrillator, to see whether cardiac resynchronization therapy, or CRT, can slow the progression of the condition.

Nearly 22 million people worldwide, including 5.5 million Americans, suffer from heart failure. About 70 percent of all heart failure patients are in the early stage.

The study has been highly anticipated by Wall Street because a positive result would have the potential to improve sales of more expensive defibrillators that also have the CRT feature.

Boston Scientific competes with Medtronic Inc and St. Jude Medical in the market for devices that manage heart rhythms. (Reuters)