Article Excerpt:
TWST: Please give us an overview of your coverage.Mr. Lee: My current coverage consists of six companies, but we are in the process of expanding that universe. Currently, our coverage universe consists of Boston Scientific (BSX), Edwards Lifesciences (EW), Medtronic (MDT), St. Jude Medical (STJ), Thoratec (THOR) and Ventana Medical Systems (VMSI). The initial focus has been on the cardiovascular space, but our scope will expand as we increase our coverage universe.
TWST: Why start there?
Mr. Lee: It is still an area that holds quite a bit of interest within
the investment community. It's a dynamic field with new innovations that
continue to expand the overall market.
TWST: What is going on in the marketplace at this point?
Mr. Lee: One of the more topical issues within the cardiovascular
segment is the slowdown in the overall high power or ICD market. Between
2002 and 2005, the market doubled to $5.5 billion, which was driven by
clinical studies such as SCD-HeFT and MADIT II, which expanded the
potential patient population, and the development of new products such
as CRT-Ds. But in recent quarters, the market has slowed markedly. Based
on the reported results, the global high power market declined 7% in
2Q06.
Tickers included in this excerpt: ABMD, BSX, EW, MDT, STJ, THOR, VMSI, WHRT
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