Abbott's Absorb, a drug-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) stent, is now available across Europe and parts of Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Absorb seeks to treat coronary artery disease by restoring blood flow to the heart similar to a metallic stent, but then dissolves into the body, according to the company. Absorb is made of polylactide, a dissolvable material.

The international launch of Absorb is supported by a clinical trial program that encompasses five studies in more than 20 countries.

The company added that Absorb is now available in a broad size matrix. Abbott's BVS delivers everolimus, an antiproliferative drug used in Abbott's Xience coronary stent systems. Everolimus was developed by Novartis Pharma and is licensed to Abbott by Novartis for use on its drug-eluting vascular devices.