Boston Scientific Corporation announced that its TAXUS Liberte Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System has received Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) approval to market in Japan. The Company plans to launch the product as soon as reimbursement approval is granted, which is expected soon. TAXUS Liberte is the only second-generation drug-eluting stent that received approval for use in Japan. It includes thinner struts to allow better stent deliverability and conformability, as well as more uniform stent geometry for consistent lesion coverage and drug distribution when compared to the first-generation TAXUS Express2 Stent. "The TAXUS Liberte Stent is the latest advance in drug-eluting stent technology for Japan," said Donald Baim, M.D., Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of Boston Scientific. "Its safety and efficacy have been well demonstrated in multiple clinical studies and years of clinical use." "We are very pleased with this approval, which provides access to proven technology to Japanese physicians and their patients," said Jim Tobin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific. "We are committed to continuing to provide the most innovative products and therapies to the Japanese market." The TAXUS Liberte Stent will replace the TAXUS Express2 Stent, which was launched in Japan in May 2007. It has been approved for sale in the United States, Europe and other international markets.