Next Drug Stent Trials: Medtronic Goes to Europe, Guidant Stays Home

Medtronic and Guidant need to play catch-up in the stent race to see who's going to be third behind Cordis/J&J's Cypher, which is approved in the US, and Boston Scientific's Taxus, which is expected to be approved shortly. A key component of Medtronic's and Guidant's competitive strategies will be deciding whether to do trials in the US vs. doing them internationally. Medtronic is doing its pivotal study in Europe, while Guidant is doing its in the US.