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MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
World's first artificial heart
by Luke Tagg
Posted Thu, 01 Feb 2001

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved human clinical trials for the world's first artificial heart, and five subjects are already on standby.

The medical device company that created the artificial heart, Abiomed, reported a 30% increase in their stock value overnight with the news that they have been given the go-ahead to begin trials of the heart, which is called the AbioCor.

The AbioCor is designed for patients who are at risk of imminent death and whose hearts are not transplantable or repairable through other technologies.

According to Wall Street observer Kurt Kruger, government approval of the heart is critical to the success of Abiomed: "All the prospects and all the hopes of the company are wrapped up in this one product", he told Reuters. "Medical companies have been trying this for decades, and this looks like one that's going to make it."

The future of the AbioCor will be based on the survival of the five trial patients, and their resulting quality of life.

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