Divvying up the biostent market

Companies with bioenhancement technologies are locking in deals with instrumentation companies to increase the biocompatibility of stents. The latest such agreement will test the ability of Desmos Inc.'s laminin-5 protein coating to increase the compatibility of Guidant Corp.'s stents(see B3).

Guidant (Indianapolis, Ind.) will fund animal trials of the ability of laminin-5 coated stents to lower restenosis rates, the main complication of coronary stenting...