Premarket approval by the U.S. FDA of a new venous stent system made by Medtronic plc could blast through impediments for patients who suffer from complex deep vein obstruction. Less than 1% of patients with iliofemoral venous outflow obstruction currently receive treatment, despite the risk of serious complications and sharply reduced quality of life. Approval of the Abre stent was based on a 200-patient clinical study.

The U.S. FDA draft guidance for select updates for premarket evaluation of class II atherectomy devices arrived with a lack of clarity that prompted device makers and clinicians alike to request the FDA address several sources of ambiguity. One of these is whether the agency should distinguish between particulate matter from the device vs. calcium particulates from the treated artery, while another is whether particulate evaluation is required only for devices with a coating.

Abiomed Inc. has won the U.S. FDA’s nod for its Breethe Oxy-1 device, an all-in-one, compact cardiopulmonary bypass system designed for easy mobility. The company plans a controlled release at U.S. hospitals between now and March of 2021, with widespread availability later that year.