Boston Scientific Sees 2007 Sales Rising

Boston Scientific is banking on the sales slumps to stop in two markets for the company to hit its top target in sales for 2007.

The Natick, MA-based medical device company said revenues could rise as little as 11% next year or as high as 21% depending on how quickly the company’s Taxus drug-coated stent and its implantable defibrillators and pacemakers can rebound.

The forecast for sales ranging from $8.65 billion to $9.45 billion in 2007 was in line with the consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, according to the Associated Press. They expect the company to post 2007 revenue of $9.064 billion, up about 15% from 2006’s projected sales total.

Sales of the company’s top-selling Taxus drug-coated stent are expected to total from $2.26 billion to $2.7 billion. The company also estimated sales of between $1.96 billion to $2.23 billion for products such as implantable defibrillators and pacemakers.

Shares of Boston Scientific rose 49 cents, or about 3 percent, to close at $16.89 on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock has been in a slump since the company’s $27 billion acquisition of Guidant Corp. in April, hitting a four-year low of $14.43 early last month.

Boston Scientific did not make a specific profit forecast for 2007 other than to say it expects double-digit earnings growth.