Stock News: Biosensors higher on approval to market stents in Japan

Biosensors International Group Ltd was higher in midafternoon trade after the company announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has allowed its unit, Biosensors Japan Co Ltd, to market its bare metal S-Stent in Japan, dealers said. Biosensors was up 0.065 sgd or 7.43 pct at 0.94 with 9.92 mln shares changing hands. "With this approval, we can now market our S-Stent in Japan while awaiting the launch of our BioMatrix drug-eluting stent in Japan," Biosensors International chairman and chief executive Yoh-Chie Lu said in a statement. Citing industry statistics, the company said Japan's coronary stent market is estimated to be worth more than 600 mln usd. Biosensors has been producing and marketing its S-Stent in Europe since 2001.