Boston Scientific Inc. has received U.S. approval to launch its latest drug-coated stent for patients with clogged arteries, a key milestone that is expected to increase profitability for the medical device maker. Stents are mesh-metal tubes used to prop open arteries after they have been cleared of dangerous fatty plaque deposits. Stents are threaded into the artery on the tip of a catheter and then squeezed into place using an inflatable balloon. The device's drug coating is designed to prevent scar tissue from growing over the stent and reclogging the artery.
