J&J's Stent Gets a Nod From FDA Panel

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted Tuesday to recommend approval of a new drug-coated stent, dubbed Cypher, made by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ Quote).

Stents -- which resemble wire-mesh tubes -- are used to keep arteries open after angioplasty. Cypher is an innovation to this technology that adds a drug coating to the stent, which is designed to halt cell growth and prevent restenosis, or reclogging of the arteries.

As many as 30% of patients who have ordinary stents installed must undergo further surgery within a year to clear reclogged arteries. ...