[ RadSafe ] Future of radiation in cardiac brachytherapy in doubt(?)

[John Jacobus]

It appears to be a down-turn in the use of cardiac
brachytherapy.  The Novoste Beta-Cath system used
Sr-90/Y-90 sources. 
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf/p000018.html

I received the following from another list server. At
one facility they used to do 3 brachytherapies a day. 
Now they do 3 a week.

-----Original Message-----
From: Vernig, Peter G. 
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 12:48 PM
Subject: AMRSO Intravascular Brachytherapy

Group,

I guess I should have realized it when my rep said
she'd been laid off, last week.  Several months ago
Novoste laid off 70% of their staff or so.  Anyway
looks like it may not be around unless they sell it to
somebody.


LATEST NEWS
February 22, 2005
Novoste to make deep job cuts, close VBT biz Already
pondering liquidation or dissolution, Novoste Corp.
aid it will close vascular brachytherapy business, cut
more than half of its U.S. employees and cut all of
its international staff in the first quarter. 

The Norcross-based company (NASDAQ: NOVT) said its
vascular brachytherapy (VBT) business is "no longer
viable" due to continually sagging revenue, and it had
to make the moves to preserve its cash resources.
Novoste will cut 52 of its 97 U.S. employees and all
16 of its employees outside of the United States. It
will take a $1.7 million severance charge in the first
quarter. 

Novoste President and CEO Al Novak called the actions
regrettable but necessary. 

"Vascular brachytherapy was a difficult product to
market even before the advent of drug-eluting stents,
and we believe our sales team did a terrific job in a
tough environment," Novak said. "The marketplace for
our product has spoken in terms of the continuing and
rapid deterioration of sales.

Accordingly, the board has determined to conduct a
staged wind-down of our VBT business." 

Novoste develops advanced medical treatments for 
coronary and vascular diseases and is the worldwide
leader in vascular brachytherapy. 

© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.


=====
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"Baltimore is actually a very safe city if you are not involved in the drug trade."
DR. PETER BEILENSON, the city's health commissioner.

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com


	
		
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