Full Description

Boston Scientific Corporation is a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of medical devices that are used in a range of interventional medical specialties, including cardiology, cardiac rhythm management, peripheral interventions, electrophysiology, neurovascular intervention, endoscopy, urology, gynecology, and neuromodulation. The Company’s products are offered for sale principally by three dedicated business groups: Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM); Cardiovascular, including the Cardiovascular and Neurovascular businesses; Endosurgery, including the Endoscopy and Urology/Gynecology businesses, and Neuromodulation.

In December 2008, the Company completed the acquisition of Labcoat, Ltd. In January 2008, the Company sold its Auditory business and drug pump development program, Cardiac Surgery and Vascular Surgery businesses. In February 2008, the Company completed the sale of its Fluid Management and Venous Access businesses to Navylist Medical. In March 2008, the Company sold its TriVascular Endovascular Aortic Repair (EVAR) program. In May 2008, the Company acquired CryoCor, Inc.

Boston Scientific Corporation’s Cardiovascular organization focuses on products and technologies for use in interventional cardiology, cardiac rhythm management, peripheral interventions, electrophysiology, and neurovascular. During the year ended 2008, the Company derived 79% of the net sales from the Cardiovascular businesses, approximately 17% from the Endosurgery businesses, and approximately 3% from the Neuromodulation business.

Cardiac Rhythm Management

The Company offers a variety of implantable devices that monitor the heart and deliver electrical impulses to treat cardiac rhythm abnormalities, including tachycardia (abnormally fast heartbeats). It also offers cardiac resynchronization devices that treat heart failure.

The Company launched several new CRM products in 2008, such as Boston Scientific-branded implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) devices, such as CONFIENT ICD, LIVIAN CRT-D, COGNIS CRT-D, and TELIGEN ICD products. In May 2008, the Company launched ACUITY, ALTRUA. The Company offers medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, which includes radio frequency (RF) generators, intracardiac ultrasound and steerable ablation catheters, and diagnostic catheters. The brands include the Blazer cardiac ablation catheter, the Chilli II cooled ablation catheter, and the MAESTRO 3000 Cardiac Ablation System.

The Company markets its second-generation coronary stent, the TAXUS Liberte stent system, as well as the PROMUS everolimus-eluting coronary stent system. In 2008, its also initiated the launch of TAXUS Express² Atom paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent system, a highly deliverable drug-eluting stent designed for treating small coronary vessels.The Company offers its Liberte bare-metal coronary stent system, which serves as the platform for the Company’s second-generation paclitaxel-eluting stent system. It markets a family of intraluminal catheter-directed ultrasound imaging catheters and systems for use in coronary arteries and heart chambers, as well as certain peripheral vessels.

The Company sells various products designed to treat patients with peripheral disease, including a broad line of medical devices used in percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and peripheral vascular stenting. The peripheral product includes vascular access products, balloon catheters, stents and peripheral vascular catheters, wires, and accessories. The Company markets a line of detachable coils (coated and uncoated), micro-delivery stents, micro-guidewires, micro-catheters, guiding catheters, and embolics to neuro-interventional radiologists and neurosurgeons to treat diseases of the neurovascular system. It also offers the NeuroForm stent for the treatment of wide neck aneurysms and the Wingspan Stent System with Gateway PTA Balloon Catheter.

Endosurgery

The components of Boston Scientific Corporation’s Endosurgery business include esophageal; gastric and duodenal (small intestine) intervention; colorectal intervention; pancreatico-biliary intervention; pulmonary intervention; urinary tract intervention and bladder disease; prostate intervention; pelvic floor reconstruction and urinary incontinence, and gynecology. The Company markets a range of products to diagnose, treat and palliate a variety of gastrointestinal diseases and conditions, including those affecting the esophagus, stomach and colon. Common disease states include esophagitis, portal hypertension, peptic ulcers, and esophageal cancer. Its product offerings in this area include disposable single and multiple biopsy forceps, balloon dilatation catheters, hemostasis catheters, and enteral feeding devices. It offers Radial Jaw 4 Single-Use Biopsy Forceps, which are designed to enable collection of large high-quality tissue specimens without the need to use large channel therapeutic endoscopes.

Endosurgery

The components of Boston Scientific Corporation’s Endosurgery business include esophageal; gastric and duodenal (small intestine) intervention; colorectal intervention; pancreatico-biliary intervention; pulmonary intervention; urinary tract intervention and bladder disease; prostate intervention; pelvic floor reconstruction and urinary incontinence; gynecology, and oncology. The Company markets a range of products to diagnose, treat and palliate a variety of gastrointestinal diseases and conditions, including those affecting the esophagus, stomach and colon. Common disease states include esophagitis, portal hypertension, peptic ulcers, and esophageal cancer. Its product offerings in this area include disposable single and multiple biopsy forceps, balloon dilatation catheters, hemostasis catheters, and enteral feeding devices. Boston Scientific Corporation markets a line of hemostatic catheters, polypectomy snares, biopsy forceps, enteral stents, and dilatation catheters for the diagnosis and treatment of polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, and colon cancer.

The Company sells products to diagnose, treat and palliate benign and malignant strictures of the pancreatico-biliary system (the gall bladder, common bile duct, hepatic duct, pancreatic duct and the pancreas) and to remove stones found in the common bile duct. Its product offerings include diagnostic catheters used with contrast media, balloon dilatation catheters and sphincterotomes. The Company markets devices to diagnose, treat and palliate diseases of the pulmonary system. Its product offerings include pulmonary biopsy forceps, transbronchial aspiration needles, cytology brushes, and tracheobronchial stents used to dilate strictures or for tumor management. Boston Scientific Corporation sells products designed primarily to treat patients with urinary stone disease, including ureteral dilatation balloons used to dilate strictures or openings for scope access; stone baskets used to manipulate or remove stones; intracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy devices and holmium laser systems used to disintegrate stones; ureteral stents implanted temporarily in the urinary tract to provide short-term or long-term drainage, and guidewires used to gain access to specific sites.

Boston Scientific Corporation markets electro-surgical resection devices designed to resect diseased tissue sites for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The Company also markets disposable needle biopsy devices, and designed to take core prostate biopsy samples. It markets a line of less-invasive devices to treat female pelvic floor conditions in the areas of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. These devices include a line of mid-urethral sling products, sling materials, graft materials, suturing devices and injectables. Boston Scientific Corporation also markets other products in the area of women’s health. Its Hydro ThermAblator System offers a less-invasive technology for the treatment of excessive uterine bleeding by ablating the lining of the uterus, and the tissue responsible for menstrual bleeding.

Neuromodulation

The Company markets the Precision Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) System for the treatment of chronic pain of the lower back and legs. This system delivers pain management by applying a small electrical signal to mask pain signals traveling from the spinal cord to the brain. The Precision System utilizes a rechargeable battery and features a patient-directed fitting system for effective programming.

The Company competes with Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Inc., and St. Jude Medical, Inc.