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Boston Scientific Announces Quarter Earnings

The Natick-based medical device company Boston Scientific announced in its quarter earnings that net sales have been on the decline for a year.

Boston Scientific is known for its innovations in heart stents --devices which prop open blocked arteries. The company created stents coated with drugs that prevent the formation of scar tissue which could reblock the artery, but recent studies have raised questions about their safety.

In April 2006, Boston Scientific bought Guidant Corporation, a producer of cardiac rhythm management devices. Recent safety concerns about its defibrillators have led to recalls.

Sales of both cardiac management devices and drug-coated stents have dipped in the past year.

Boston Scientific is in the midst of an expansion to the international market, and recently launched sales in Japan.

"All around the world we are a market leader with our drugged stent," said spokesman Paul Donovan. "Japan is a promising market. We haven't been there before. We just got approval, so we just launched, and we think that's a potential bright spot."

This program aired on July 20, 2007. The audio for this program is not available.

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