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J&J released some preliminary results today for the next-generation “Nevo” stent the company hopes will revive its forunes in the $4 billion drug-coated stent market.

J&J’s Cypher stent once competed with Boston Scientific’s Taxus for dominance in the market. But the arrival of Abbott’s Xience stent (which Boston Scientific sells under the brand name Promus) was a blow to J&J’s stent franchise.

The data presented today, though promising, are based following patients for only six months; longer-term data will be required to get a better sense of how well Nevo works, and how safe it is.

The study, a head-to-head trial of Nevo and Taxus, gathered data from 394 patients, and found that those who received a Nevo stent had less tissue growth inside the stent than patients who received a Taxus stent. This suggests that patients who get the Nevo device may be less likely to need follow-up procedures than those who receive Taxus, but longer-term data should answer that question more clearly.

In a note, Wachovia analyst Larry Biegelsen said “the results from the Nevo Res I study will help JNJ stop the erosion of its market share in Europe and could help JNJ gain share if physicians buy into the safety message.”

Of course, if Abbott’s Xience is the hot new stent, the value of a head-to-head trial against Taxus may be somewhat limited. J&J has already thought of that: The company is pitting Nevo against Xience in a separate study.

Image: Boston Scientific via Bloomberg News

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Will Nevo Revive J&J’s Stent Business?