US approval of Cook Medical stent may boost jobs in Limerick

Cook Medical, an Indiana-based medical devices manufacturer, has received regulatory approval to sell its drug-eluting stent product in the US, a move that could lead to the creation of new jobs in its Limerick operation.

The Zilver PTX drug-eluting stent, which is used in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease, is manufactured in Limerick, and has been used to treat more than 15,000 patients across Europe since September 2009. While available in more than 50 countries, Cook has been unable to sell the device in the US until it received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Now it can fully market the product in the US, which it expects will be its biggest market for the stent.

Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Bill Doherty, Cook Medical executive vice-president EMEA, said he “certainly hopes” that the FDA approval would lead to job creation at the Limerick plant.

Limerick is the global manufacturing site for the stent.Cook has been operating in Ireland since 1996, and currently employs more than 750 in Limerick.