Randomized Comparison of the Nobori Biolimus A9-Eluting Coronary Stent With the Taxus Liberté Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent in Patients With Stenosis in Native Coronary Arteries

Clinical outcomes of long stenting in the drug-eluting stent era: patient-level pooled analysis from the GRAND-DES registry

AIMS

We aimed to understand the association between stent length and clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using newer-generation drug-eluting stents (DES).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analysed 9,217 patients who underwent stenting for a single lesion from the GRAND-DES registry, a patient-level pooled registry including five Korean multicentre DES registries. The median follow-up duration was 730 days (interquartile range 708 to 752 days). A total of 8,035 patients were classified into the short stenting group (≤40 mm), and 1,182 into the long stenting group (>40 mm). The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF). Long stenting (>40 mm) was significantly associated with higher TLF (IPTW adjusted HR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.67-2.13; p<0.001), and definite or probable stent thrombosis (IPTW adjusted HR 2.20, 95% CI: 1.51-3.20; p<0.001). In the landmark analysis, the incidence of TLF was significantly higher with long stenting during the first 30 days after PCI (log-rank p=0.001) and also after 30 days (log-rank p<0.001). Long stenting was associated with a higher risk of early stent thrombosis (log-rank p=0.001), but not with that of late stent thrombosis (log-rank p=0.887).

CONCLUSIONS

In the contemporary second-generation DES era, stenting longer than 40 mm continues to be associated with less favourable clinical outcomes such as TLF and stent thrombosis.

The Use of Bioactive Polymers for Intervention and Tissue Engineering: The New Frontier for Cardiovascular Therapy

Coronary heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death in most countries. Healthcare improvements have seen a shift in the presentation of disease with a reducing number of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs), largely due to earlier reperfusion strategies such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Stents have revolutionized the care of these patients, but the long-term effects of these devices have been brought to the fore. The conceptual and technologic evolution of these devices from bare-metal stents led to the creation and wide application of drug-eluting stents; further research introduced the idea of polymer-based resorbable stents. We look at the evolution of stents and the multiple advantages and disadvantages offered by each of the different polymers used to make stents in order to identify what the stent of the future may consist of whilst highlighting properties that are beneficial to the patient alongside the role of the surgeon, the cardiologist, engineers, chemists, and biophysicists in creating the ideal stent.

Real-World Use Of Ultrathin-Strut Biodegradable Polymer-Coated Sirolimus-Eluting Stents In Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: 6-Month Clinical Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Although a number of drug-eluting stents have been developed with different design, composition, and polymers, the search for an ideal drug-eluting stent is ongoing. The Tetriflex (Sahajanand Medical Technology, Surat, India) is a newer-generation, ultrathin (60 µm) biodegradable polymer-coated sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) designed with a unique long dual Z-link on a cobalt-chromium alloy. The present registry aimed to evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of the Tetriflex SES at 6-month post-implantation.

METHODS

This was an investigator-initiated, retrospective, multicenter, single-arm, observational registry conducted at five tertiary-care centers in India. A total of 1,269 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease who underwent implantation of at least one Tetriflex SES between March 2017 and March 2018 were included. The primary outcome was considered a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction and target-lesion revascularization (TLR) at 6-month follow-up. Stent thrombosis was evaluated as a safety outcome at 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 54.99±10.80 years. Among 1,515 lesions treated with 1,682 Tetriflex SES, 58.3% were type C lesions. Six-month follow-up was done for 1,245 of 1,269 (98.1%) patients. At 6 months, composite events had occurred in 31 (2.5%) patients, consisting of ten (0.8%) cardiac deaths, 16 (1.3%) myocardial infarctions, and five (0.4%) TLRs. Stent thrombosis was observed in seven (0.56%) cases at 6 months. A subgroup analysis between diabetic and nondiabetic patients did not reveal any statistically significant difference for clinical outcomes at 6-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The results of the current registry outline the safety and effectiveness of the Tetriflex SES in real-world patients, as it displayed favorable clinical outcomes at 6-month follow-up, with low incidence of TLR and stent thrombosis.

Neointimal coverage after second generation drug-eluting stent implantation has a relationship with pre-existing atherosclerotic lesion characteristics

The relationship between preexisting atherosclerotic lesion characteristics and neointimal thickness after second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) placement is still unknown. Thus, we evaluated that relationship using optical coherence tomography (OCT).A single-center, retrospective, observational study was conducted. Patients with stable angina or asymptomatic myocardial ischemia who received percutaneous coronary intervention for a de novo lesion using a second-generation DES under frequency domain OCT guidance and underwent follow-up coronary angiography (CAG) and OCT between December 2010 and December 2015 were included. The relationship between the neointimal thickness on the stent strut and the plaque characteristics was retrospectively evaluated using OCT immediately after stent implantation and at the time of follow-up CAG.We analyzed 3459 struts from 20 stents in 15 patients. The mean follow-up period was 264 days. In the follow-up study, no angiographic in-stent restenosis was found. Of the 3459 struts, 3315 (95.8%) were covered with neointima. The median neointimal thicknesses of the stent struts on calcified, fibrous, and lipid-rich lesions were 20 μm (interquartile range [IQR], 10-50 μm), 70 μm (40-140 μm; P < .001), and 90 μm (50-170 μm; P < .001), respectively. These differences were observed regardless of the type of second-generation DES used.Most of the stent struts were covered with neointima. The neointimal thickness after the second-generation DES implantation had a close relationship with the preexisting atherosclerotic lesion characteristics. In this study, we found differences in arterial healing processes due to underlying plaque; therefore, evaluating the lesion characteristics by OCT may predict the risk for future restenosis and thrombosis.

Bioresorbable polymer-coated thin strut sirolimus-eluting stent vs durable polymer-coated everolimus-eluting stent in daily clinical practice: Propensity matched one-year results from interventional cardiology network registry

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine the 1-year clinical follow-up in patients treated with the thin strut (71 μm) bioabsorbable polymer-coated sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) vs durable coating everolimus eluting stent (DP-EES) in daily clinical routine.

BACKGROUND

Presence of durable polymers may be associated with late/very late stent thrombosis occurrence and the need for prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy. Bioabsorbable polymers may facilitate stent healing, thus enhancing clinical safety.

METHODS

Interventional Cardiology Network Registry is a prospective, multicenter, observational registry of 21,400 consecutive patients treated with PCI since 2010. We analyzed 4,670 patients treated with either a BP-SES (ALEX, Balton, Poland) or DP-EES (XIENCE, Abbott, USA) with available 1-year clinical follow-up using propensity-score matching. Outcomes included target vessel revascularization (TVR) as efficacy outcome and all cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and definite/probable stent thrombosis as safety outcomes.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching, 1,649 patients treated with BP-SES and 1,649 patients treated with DP-EES were selected. Procedural and clinical characteristics were similar between both groups. There was no significant difference between tested groups in in-hospital mortality. One-year follow-up demonstrated comparable efficacy outcome, TVR (BP-SES 5.9% vs DP-EES 4.6% P = 0.45), as well as comparable safety outcomes, all cause death, MI and definite/probable stent thrombosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In this multicenter registry, the BP-SES thin strut biodegradable polymer-coated sirolimus-eluting stent demonstrated comparable clinical outcomes at 1-year after implantation to the DP-EES. These data support the relative safety and efficacy of DP-SES in a broad range of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Mid-term outcome of biolimus-eluting stents with biodegradable polymer: results from a multinational prospective 'all-comers' registry

BACKGROUND

The Nobori biolimus-eluting stent (BES) is a biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stent (DES). Several studies have shown its noninferiority in comparison with durable polymer DES.

AIM

We sought to investigate the efficacy and the safety of Nobori BES in an all-comer population undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 12 912 patients with 19 947 coronary lesions, undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with Nobori BES implantation at 200 centres around the world between August 2010 and December 2015, were included in this prospective registry. Patients were stratified into four groups according to the total stent length, with cutoffs at 18, 24 and 28 mm. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events defined as the composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction and clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 1 year.

RESULTS

At 1 year, the major adverse cardiac events rate was the highest (4.6%) in the fourth quartile of stent length (>28 mm), whereas the overall rate of the primary endpoint in the all cohort was 3.5%. Both target lesion revascularization and target vessel revascularization rates were significantly higher in patients with longer stent length was implanted (all P<0.05). The incidence of definite and probable stent thrombosis at 1 year was 0.5% in all cohort and similar across the four groups (varying from 0.4 to 0.7%, all P=NS).

CONCLUSION

Our data confirmed the efficacy and the safety of the Nobori BES in routine clinical practice. Longer stent length is associated with a higher risk of adverse cardiac events, and yet, this risk is comparable with that of other DES.

Vascular response to biolimus A-9 eluting stent in patients with shorter and prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy: optical coherence tomography sub-study of the NIPPON trial

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with thienopyridine and aspirin is the standard care for the prevention of stent thrombosis. However, the optimal duration and effect of the duration of DAPT on intra-stent thrombus (IS-Th) formation are unknown. The NIPPON study (Nobori Dual Antiplatelet Therapy as Appropriate Duration) was an open label, randomized multicenter, assessor-blinded, trial designed to demonstrate the non-inferiority of shorter (6-month) DAPT to prolonged (18-month) DAPT, after biolimus A9 eluting stent implantation in 3773 patients at 130 sites in Japan. Among them, 101 patients were randomly allocated for an optical coherence tomography (OCT) sub-study to assess the difference of local IS-Th formation between the two groups. In addition to standard OCT parameters, the number of IS-Th formed was counted in each target stent at 8 months. Baseline patient characteristics were not different between the 6- and 18-month groups. IS-Th was detected in 9.8% of the cases and the presence of IS-Th was not significantly different between the two groups (10.9% in 6-month vs. 9.1% in 12-month, P = 0.76). Furthermore, the number of IS-Th formed was not significantly different between the two groups. This OCT sub-study was in line with the main NIPPON study which demonstrated the non-inferiority of 6-month DAPT to 18-month DAPT. Shorter DAPT duration did not promote progressive IS-Th formation at the mid-term time point.

Biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents versus first-generation durable polymer drug-eluting stents: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Even if drug-eluting stents (DES) showed beneficial effects in patients with coronary artery diseases (CADs), limitations have been observed with the first-generation durable polymer DES (DP-DES). Recently, biodegradable polymer DES (BP-DES) have been approved to be used as an alternative to DP-DES, with potential benefits. We aimed to systematically compare BP-DES with the first-generation DP-DES using a large number of randomized patients.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing BP-DES with first-generation DP-DES. The main endpoints were the long-term (≥2 years) adverse clinical outcomes that were reported with these 2 types of DES. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and the analysis was carried out by RevMan 5.3 software.

RESULTS

Twelve trials with a total number of 13,480 patients (7730 and 5750 patients were treated by BP-DES and first-generation DP-DES, respectively) were included. During a long-term follow-up period of ≥2 years, mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were not significantly different between these 2 groups with OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.66-1.07; P = .16, I = 0%, OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.45-2.27; P = .98, I = 0%, OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.75-1.11; P = .37, I = 0% and OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.44-1.67; P = .65, I = 0%, respectively. Long-term total stent thrombosis (ST), definite ST, and probable ST were also not significantly different between BP-DES and the first-generation DP-DES with OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.50-1.18; P = .22, I = 0%, OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.43-1.18; P = .19, I = 0% and OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 0.56-3.08; P = .53, I = 6%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Long-term mortality, MI, TLR, MACEs, and ST were not significantly different between BP-DES and the first-generation DP-DES. However, the follow-up period was restricted to only 3 years in this analysis.

Clinical and Angiographic Outcomes of the First Korean-made Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent with Abluminal Bioresorbable Polymer

Background and Objectives

This trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of the Genoss drug-eluting coronary stent.

Methods

This study was a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial with a 1:1 ratio of Genoss drug-eluting stent (DES)™ and Promus Element™. Inclusion criteria were the presence of stable angina, unstable angina, or silent ischemia. Angiographic inclusion criteria were de novo coronary stenotic lesion with diameter stenosis >50%, reference vessel diameter of 2.5–4.0 mm, and lesion length ≤40 mm. The primary endpoint was in-stent late lumen loss at 9-month quantitative coronary angiography follow-up. Secondary endpoints were in-segment late lumen loss, binary restenosis rate, death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and stent thrombosis during 9 months of follow-up.

Results

We enrolled 38 patients for the Genoss DES™ group and 39 patients for the Promus Element™ group. In-stent late lumen loss at 9 months was not significantly different between the 2 groups (0.11±0.25 vs. 0.16±0.43 mm, p=0.567). There was no MI or stent thrombosis in either group. The rates of death (2.6% vs. 0%, p=0.494), TLR (2.6% vs. 2.6%, p=1.000), and TVR (7.9% vs. 2.6%, p=0.358) at 9 months were not significantly different.

Conclusion

This first-in-patient study of the Genoss DES™ stent showed excellent angiographic outcomes for in-stent late lumen loss and major adverse cardiac events over a 9-month follow-up.

Early endothelialization associated with a biolimus A9 bioresorbable polymer stent in a porcine coronary model

Although Nobori^®, with a bioresorbable polymer and biolimus A9 abluminal coating, has unique characteristics, few data exist regarding endothelialization early after implantation. Fifteen Nobori^® and 14 control bare-metal stents (S-stent™) were implanted in 12 pigs. Histopathology of stented segments, inflammation, and intimal fibrin content was evaluated on the 2nd and 14th day after implantation. On the 2nd day, endothelial cells were morphologically and immunohistologically confirmed on the surface of both stents, although some inflammatory cells might be involved. Stent surface endothelialization evaluated with a scanning electron microscope showed partial cellular coverage in both stents. On the 14th day, neointimal thickness and percentage of the neointimal area were significantly lower in Nobori^® than in S-stent™ (51.4 ± 4.5 vs. 76.4 ± 23.6 µm, p < 0.05 and 10.8 ± 2.6 vs. 14.1 ± 4.2%, p < 0.01). No significant differences were found in these parameters on the 2nd day (17.3 ± 14.9 vs. 26.7 ± 13.6 µm and 3.7 ± 3.0 vs. 6.7 ± 3.7%), in inflammatory and intimal fibrin content scores. These results demonstrate that endothelialization could occur early after Nobori^® implantation with similar inflammatory reaction to bare-metal stents, probably contributing to low frequency of in-stent thrombosis and restenosis.

Third generation drug eluting stent (DES) with biodegradable polymer in diabetic patients: 5 years follow-up

Objective

To report the long-term safety and efficacy data of a third generation drug eluting stent (DES) with biodegradable polymer in the complex patient population of diabetes mellitus after a follow-up period of 5 years.

Background

After percutaneous coronary intervention patients with diabetes mellitus are under higher risk of death, restenosis and stent thrombosis (ST) compared to non-diabetic patients.

Methods

In 126 centers worldwide 3067 patients were enrolled in the NOBORI 2 registry, 888 patients suffered from diabetes mellitus (DM), 213 of them (14%) being insulin dependent (IDDM). Five years follow-up has been completed in this study.

Results

At 5 years, 89.3% of the patients were available for follow-up. The reported target lesion failure (TLF) rates at 5 years were 12.39% in DM group and 7.34% in non-DM group; (p < 0.0001). In the DM group, the TLF rate in patients with IDDM was significantly higher than in the non-IDDM subgroup (17.84 vs. 10.67%; p < 0.01). The rate of ST at 5 years was not different among diabetic versus non-diabetic patients or IDDM versus NIDDM. Only 10 (<0.4%) very late stent thrombotic events beyond 12 months occurred.

Conclusions

The Nobori DES performed well in patients with DM. As expected patients with DM, particularly those with IDDM, had worse outcomes. However, the very low rate of very late stent thrombosis in IDDM patients might have significant clinical value in the treatment of these patients.

Clinical trial registration ISRCTN81649913; http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/search.html?srch=81649913&sort=3&dir=desc&max=10

Current State of Bioabsorbable Polymer-Coated Drug-Eluting Stents

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have been shown to significantly reduce clinical and angiographic restenosis compared to bare metal stents (BMS). The polymer coatings on DES elute antiproliferative drugs to inhibit intimal proliferation and prevent restenosis after stent implantation. Permanent polymers which do not degrade in vivo may increase the likelihood of stent-related delayed arterial healing or polymer hypersensitivity. In turn, these limitations may contribute to an increased risk of late clinical events. Intuitively, a polymer which degrades after completion of drug release, leaving an inert metal scaffold in place, may improve arterial healing by removing a chronic source of inflammation, neoatherosclerosis, and/or late thrombosis. In this way, a biodegradable polymer may reduce late ischemic events. Additionally, improved healing after stent implantation could reduce the requirement for long-term dual antiplatelet therapy and the associated risk of bleeding and cost. This review will focus on bioabsorbable polymer-coated DES currently being evaluated in clinical trials.

Impact of technological developments in drug-eluting stents on patient-focused outcomes: a pooled direct and indirect comparison of randomised trials comparing first- and second-generation drug-eluting stents

AIMS

To establish whether technological improvements in drug-eluting stent (DES) technology introduced in second-generation (G2) DES have contributed to improving patient-focused outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed a systematic review of randomised clinical trials (RCT) comparing first-generation (G1) and G2 DES with a>9-month clinical follow-up. The primary endpoint for efficacy was ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation (ID-TLR); safety endpoints were all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI) and stent thrombosis (ST). Sixteen RCTs involving 25,427 patients met eligibility criteria (17 comparisons). In these trials, paclitaxel (PES) and sirolimus (SES) were compared with everolimus (EES), zotarolimus (ZES) or biolimus A9 (BES) DES. G2 varied in metal alloy, strut thickness and type of drug-eluting matrix. Overall, G2 DES were associated with a 26% relative risk reduction (RRR) of MI (relative risk [RR]=0.74, 95% CI: 0.61-0.90, p=0.003) and ST (RR=0.70, 95% CI: 0.55-0.89, p=0.004), while no significant benefit was observed for ID-TLR and death. Use of 2G DES was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of ID-TLR (RR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.51-0.85, p=0.002), MI (RR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.49-0.72, p<0.001) and ST (RR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.26-0.65, p=0.001) when compared with PES. Strut thickness ≤91 µm in G2 DES was associated with a significantly lower risk of MI (RR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.51-0.86, p=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of thinner stent struts and other technological improvements made in G2 DES technology have translated into better patient outcomes. Overall, the net benefit of G2 DES over G1 DES is expressed in terms of ID-TLR and ST risk reduction but it could be masked by heterogeneities in the use of G1 comparators and the use of non-inferiority study designs in RCTs.

Long-Term Safety of Drug-Eluting and Bare-Metal Stents: Evidence From a Comprehensive Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous meta-analyses have investigated the relative safety and efficacy profiles of different types of drug-eluting stents (DES) and bare-metal stents (BMS); however, most prior trials in these meta-analyses reported follow-up to only 1 year, and as such, the relative long-term safety and efficacy of these devices are unknown. Many recent studies have now reported extended follow-up data.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to investigate the long-term safety and efficacy of durable polymer-based DES, bioabsorbable polymer-based biolimus-eluting stents (BES), and BMS by means of network meta-analysis.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials comparing DES to each other or to BMS were searched through MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases and proceedings of international meetings. Information on study design, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample characteristics, and clinical outcomes was extracted.

RESULTS

Fifty-one trials that included a total of 52,158 randomized patients with follow-up duration ≥3 years were analyzed. At a median follow-up of 3.8 years, cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (EES) were associated with lower rates of mortality, definite stent thrombosis (ST), and myocardial infarction than BMS, paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES), and sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) and less ST than BES. Phosphorylcholine-based zotarolimus-eluting stents had lower rates of definite ST than SES and lower rates of myocardial infarction than BMS and PES. The late rates of target-vessel revascularization were reduced with all DES compared with BMS, with cobalt-chromium EES, platinum chromium-EES, SES, and BES also having lower target-vessel revascularization rates than PES.

CONCLUSIONS

After a median follow-up of 3.8 years, all DES demonstrated superior efficacy compared with BMS. Among DES, second-generation devices have substantially improved long-term safety and efficacy outcomes compared with first-generation devices.

Controlling drug delivery from coronary stents: are we aiming for the right targets?

In this review article, the currently employed or explored delivery concepts for local intravascular drug delivery with drug-eluting stents (DES) are discussed with a special emphasis on clinical evidence regarding the desired release profiles. Traditional concepts to control drug release from DES include diffusion through polymers, polymer degradation and erosion as well as dissolution of particulate drug. Published clinical studies do not always reveal fine mechanistic details. The long duration of release favored for DES and the short duration of release favored for drug-eluting balloons require further investigation in experimental studies and clinical trials.

Comparison of everolimus- and biolimus-eluting coronary stents with everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffolds

BACKGROUND

The first CE-approved bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) is effective at treating simple lesions and stable coronary artery disease, but it has yet to be assessed versus the best-in-class drug-eluting stents (DES).

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to compare the performance of a BVS with that of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) and biolimus-eluting stents (BES) in all-comer patients.

METHODS

The EVERBIO II (Comparison of Everolimus- and Biolimus-Eluting Stents With Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Stents II) trial was a single-center, assessor-blinded study of 240 patients randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to EES, BES, or BVS. The only exclusion criterion was a reference vessel diameter >4.0 mm, which precluded treatment with BVS. The primary endpoint was angiographic late lumen loss (LLL) at 9 months. Secondary endpoints included patient-oriented major acute coronary events (MACE) (death, myocardial infarction [MI], and any revascularization), device-oriented MACE (cardiac death, MI, and target lesion revascularization), and stent thrombosis at the 9-month clinical follow-up.

RESULTS

Follow-up angiography was performed in 216 patients (90.7%) at 9 months. In-stent LLL was similar between patients treated with BVS (0.28 ± 0.39 mm) and those treated with EES/BES (0.25 ± 0.36 mm; p = 0.30). Clinical outcomes were similar at 9 months: the patient-oriented MACE rate was 27% in BVS and 26% in the EES/BES group (p = 0.83) and the device-oriented MACE rate was 12% in BVS and 9% in the EES/BES group (p = 0.6).

CONCLUSIONS

New-generation metallic DES (EES/BES) were not superior to BVS in terms of angiographic LLL and clinical outcomes. (Comparison of Everolimus- and Biolimus-Eluting Stents With Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Stents [EVERBIO II]; NCT01711931).

Comparison of the safety and efficacy of biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents: a meta-analysis

Background

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DESs).

Methods

PubMed, Science Direct, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chongqing VIP databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing the safety and efficacy of BP-DESs versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DESs). Efficacy included the prevalence of target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and late lumen loss (LLL), and safety of these stents at the end of follow-up for the selected research studies were compared.

Results

A total of 16 qualified original studies that addressed a total of 22,211 patients were included in this meta-analysis. In regard to efficacy, no statistically significant difference in TLR (odds ratio (OR) = 0.94, P = 0.30) or TVR (OR 1.01, P = 0.86) was observed between patients treated with BP-DESs and those with DP-DESs. However, there were significant differences in in-stent LLL (weighted mean difference [WMD] = −0.07, P = 0.005) and in-segment LLL (WMD = −0.03, P = 0.05) between patients treated with BP-DESs and with DP-DESs. In terms of safety, there was no significant difference in overall mortality (OR 0.97, P = 0.67), cardiac death (OR 0.99, P = 0.90), early stent thrombosis (ST) and late ST (OR 0.94, P = 0.76; OR 0.96, P = 0.73), or myocardial infarction (MI) (OR 0.99, P = 0.88) between patients treated with BP-DESs and with DP-DESs. However, there was a statistically significant difference in very late ST (OR 0.69, P = 0.007) between these two groups. In addition, the general trend of the rates of TVR and TLR of BP-DESs groups was lower than DP-DESs groups after a 1-year follow-up.

Conclusion

BP-DESs are safe, efficient, and exhibit superior performance to DP-DESs with respect to reducing the occurrence of very late ST and LLL. The general trend of the rates of TVR and TLR of BP-DESs groups was lower than DP-DESs groups after a 1-year follow-up.

Drug-eluting stents with biodegradable polymer for the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus: clinical outcome at 2 years in a large population of patients

Objective

This study investigates the safety and efficacy of a third-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) with biodegradable polymer in the complex patient population of diabetes mellitus (DM).

Clinical trial registration

ISRCTN81649913.

Background

Percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with DM are associated with a higher incidence of death, restenosis, and stent thrombosis as compared to non-diabetic patients. The use of a DES has been shown to improve outcomes in diabetic patients.

Methods

Out of 3,067 patients, enrolled in 126 centers worldwide in the NOBORI 2 registry, 888 patients suffered from DM, 213 of them (14%) being insulin-dependent DM (IDDM). Two years’ follow-up has been completed in this study.

Results

At 1- and 2-year follow-up, 97% and 95% of the patients, respectively, were available. The reported target lesion failure (TLF) rates at 1- and 2-year follow-up were 6.0% and 7.2% in the DM group, respectively, and 3.0% and 4.2% in the non-DM group, respectively (P<0.001 for both years). Inside the DM group, the TLF rates of 9.9% and 11.7% at the 1- and 2-year follow-ups, respectively, in patients with IDDM were significantly higher than the TLF rates of 4.7% and 5.8%, respectively, in the non-IDDM subgroup (P<0.01 for both years). The rate of stent thrombosis at the 2-year follow-up was 1.0% in the DM group and 0.7% in non-DM patients. There were no cases of late, or very late stent thrombosis in IDDM patients.

Conclusion

The Nobori DES performed well in patients with DM. As expected, patients with DM, particularly those with IDDM, had worse outcomes. However, the absence of late, and very late stent thrombosis in IDDM patients merits further investigation, as this finding might have significant clinical value.

Clinical performance of biodegradable versus permanent polymer drug-eluting stents: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials at long-term follow-up

Several types of biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BPDES) have been used for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty; however, the safety and efficiency of these BPDES have not been fully evaluated. A meta-analysis was, therefore, conducted to compare the clinical performance of BPDES with that of permanent polymer drug-eluting stents (PPDES) in unselected patients with coronary stenosis. PubMed, Web of Science, Medline and The Cochrane Library were searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) from January 2005 to January 2014. Trials that compared BPDES with PPDES in patients with coronary stenosis were considered. Twelve RCTs with a total of 15,938 patients with coronary stenosis were included in this meta-analysis. No significant difference was found between the two arms in the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and definite or probable stent thrombosis (DpST) at the one-year follow-up (P>0.10). The use of BPDES, however, showed a tendency towards a lower risk of MACE (P=0.09) and a beneficial effect by reducing DpST episodes (P=0.04) at long-term follow-up, particularly when compared with the incidence of DpST at the one-year follow-up. BPDES also tended to be associated with a decreased late lumen loss in patients with coronary stenosis [instrumental variable =−0.04; 95% confidence interval =−0.08–0.00; P=0.05). In conclusion, the one-year outcomes following drug-eluting stent implantation showed BPDES were noninferior to PPDES in unselected patients with coronary stenosis. Long-term clinical outcomes, however, indicated that BPDES appeared to a present a lower risk of MACE and DpST.

Impact of statin treatment on strut coverage after drug-eluting stent implantation

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of statin treatment on strut coverage after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, 60 patients were randomly assigned to undergo sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) or biolimus-eluting stent (BES) implantation, after which patients were randomly treated with pitavastatin 2 mg or pravastatin 20 mg for 6 months. The degree of strut coverage was assessed by 6-month follow-up optical coherence tomography, which was performed in 52 DES-implanted patients.

RESULTS

The percentages of uncovered struts were 19.4±14.7% in pitavastatin-treated patients (n=25) and 19.1±15.2% in pravastatin-treated patients (n=27; p=0.927). A lower percentage of uncovered struts was significantly correlated with a lower follow-up low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level (r=0.486; p=0.009) and a greater decline of the LDL cholesterol level (r=-0.456; p=0.015) in SES-implanted patients, but not in BES-implanted patients. In SES-implanted patients, the percentage of uncovered struts was significantly lower among those with LDL cholesterol levels of less than 70 mg/dL after 6 months of follow-up (p=0.025), but no significant difference in this variable according to the follow-up LDL cholesterol level was noted among BES-implanted patients (p=0.971).

CONCLUSION

Lower follow-up LDL cholesterol levels, especially those less than 70 mg/dL, might have a protective effect against delayed strut coverage after DES implantation. This vascular healing effect of lower LDL cholesterol levels could differ according to the DES type.

Reduced sirolimus systemic exposure and improved bioresorbable polymer properties: new allies for the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease

This prospective, first-in-man, open-label multicenter study sought to assess the pharmacokinetics of sirolimus after Ultimaster drug-eluting stent implantation (coated with sirolimus and bioabsorbable co-polymer) in patients with de novo coronary artery disease (the TCD-10023 PK study). The primary endpoint was sirolimus concentration in peripheral whole blood at 28 days after stent implantation. In addition, safety, tolerability, therapeutic outcome and vasomotor response after stent implantation were studied. Twenty patients were enrolled in the study. Blood samples for the measurements of sirolimus concentration were collected at eight time points during first 48 h, at 7 days and 28 days after stent implantation. Patients underwent 6-month angiographic and up to 12 months clinical follow-up. At 28 days, only two of 20 patients had sirolimus concentrations above lower limit of quantification (20.0 pg/mL). The highest sirolimus blood concentration was 105 pg/mL. The median maximum concentration was 36.8 pg/mL (range 22.9-41.5 pg/mL) for stent 3.0 × 15 mm and 87.2 pg/mL (range 60.0-105.0 pg/mL) for 3 × 28 mm stent. The median systemic exposure, as measured by the area under the time-concentration curve, was 8.3 ng h/mL (range 6.47-28.0 ng h/mL). At 6 months, endothelial function was well preserved, and up to 12 months, there were no signs of sirolimus toxicity nor any other safety concerns. Our results demonstrate that implantation of Ultimaster stent resulted in almost nondetectable sirolimus in blood after 28 days. These findings were translated into exceptional safety profile, without any sign of systemic toxicity.

Randomised comparison of strut coverage between Nobori biolimus-eluting and sirolimus-eluting stents: an optical coherence tomography analysis

AIMS

The aims of this study were to compare strut tissue coverage at six-month follow-up after Nobori biolimus-eluting stent (N-BES) versus sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 120 patients with a single stenotic lesion requiring revascularisation were randomly assigned to either N-BES (n=60) or SES (n=60). Baseline optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed post stent implantation, and follow-up OCT was scheduled at six months. Post-intervention and follow-up OCT analyses were available in 51 (85.0%) and 52 (86.7%) patients, respectively. The primary endpoint was the percentage of uncovered struts at follow-up OCT in all cross-sections with analysis of 0.2 mm longitudinal intervals. In addition, an OCT contour plot analysis was constructed to investigate the distribution patterns of uncovered struts. The percentage of uncovered struts of N-BES was significantly lower versus SES (15.9±12.2% versus 25.1±18.3%, respectively, p=0.003). N-BES showed a greater NIH thickness than SES (median [interquartile range] 52.4 μm [41.9-74.9] versus 42.1 μm [30.6-56.0], p=0.005). Contour plot analyses showed a lower incidence of a diffuse distribution pattern of uncovered struts (46.8% versus 75.0%, respectively, p=0.022).

CONCLUSIONS

This randomised OCT study showed that N-BES had a significantly lower percentage of uncovered struts, and less common diffuse distribution pattern of uncovered struts versus SES.

Nobori biolimus-eluting stent vs. permanent polymer drug-eluting stents in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Permanent polymer coatings on drug-eluting stents (DES) surface have been identified as triggers of adverse events following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, efficacy and safety data for the Nobori biolimus-eluting stent (BES), a biodegradable polymer DES, are limited, so the aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes associated with the Nobori BES compared with permanent polymer DES in patients undergoing PCI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Randomized trials comparing Nobori BES vs. other DES were included in the meta-analysis. The 12-month clinical endpoints were: target lesion revascularization (TLR), all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI) and stent thrombosis (ST). Seven trials totaling 12,090 PCI patients met the inclusion criteria. Nobori BES vs. other DES had a comparable risk of TLR (odds ratio [OR] 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-1.34; P=0.74), mortality (OR 1.00; 95% CI, 0.78-1.28; P=0.98), MI (OR 1.10; 95% CI, 0.87-1.40; P=0.42) and definite/probable ST (OR 1.01; 95% CI, 0.45-2.25; P=0.99). Despite Nobori BES showing similar clinical results to sirolimus-, everolimus- and zotarolimus-eluting stents, it was superior to paclitaxel-eluting stents in reducing the risk of TLR (OR 0.31; 95% CI, 0.10-0.90; P=0.03)CONCLUSIONS:Nobori BES use is associated with a similar safety and efficacy as permanent polymer DES at 1-year follow-up, albeit it is superior to paclitaxel-eluting stents in terms of TLR. Long-term follow-up data are needed in order to establish whether polymer degradation related to Nobori BES implantation improves clinical outcomes.

Comparison of biolimus A9-eluting (Nobori) and everolimus-eluting (Promus Element) stents in patients with de novo native long coronary artery lesions: a randomized Long Drug-Eluting Stent V trial

BACKGROUND

Procedural and clinical outcomes still remain unfavorable for patients with long coronary lesions who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention. The current study, therefore, evaluated 2 innovative drug-eluting stents for the management of long-lesion coronary artery disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This randomized, multicenter, prospective trial, called the Long Drug-Eluting Stent (LONG-DES) V trial, compared the biodegradable polymer-based biolimus A9-eluting stent (BES) and the durable polymer-based platinum chromium everolimus-eluting stent (PtCr-EES) in 500 patients with long (≥ 25 mm) coronary lesions. The primary end point of the trial was in-segment late luminal loss at the 9-month angiographic follow-up. The BES and PtCr-EES groups had similar baseline characteristics, with a slightly shorter lesion length in the BES group versus the PtCr-EES group (29.24 ± 12.17 versus 32.27 ± 13.84 mm; P = 0.016). In-segment late luminal loss was comparable between the 2 groups at the 9-month angiographic follow-up (BES, 0.14 ± 0.38 versus PtCr-EES, 0.11 ± 0.37 mm; difference, 0.031; 95% confidence interval, -0.053 to 0.091; P = 0.03 for a noninferiority margin of 0.11, P = 0.45 for superiority), as was in-stent late luminal loss (0.20 ± 0.41 versus 0.24 ± 0.38 mm; P = 0.29). The incidence of in-segment (6.1% versus 4.9%; P = 0.63) and in-stent (3.7% versus 4.9%; P = 0.59) binary restenosis was also similar between the groups. There was no significant between-group difference in the rate of composite outcome of death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization (41, 16.7% in BES versus 42, 16.5% in PtCr-EES; P=0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

BES and PtCr-EES implantation showed analogous angiographic and clinical outcomes for patients with de novo long coronary lesions.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01186120.

Clinical outcomes of biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents for percutaneous coronary intervention: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (DES) are innovative concepts in the era of percutaneous coronary intervention. We systematically reviewed the latest randomized evidence on the efficacy and safety of biodegradable polymer DES as compared to durable polymer DES. MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane database were searched in August 2013 for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing biodegradable polymer DES with durable polymer DES. Clinical outcomes of interest were mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and stent thrombosis. A total of 20 RCTs randomizing 20 021 participants were included, of whom 11 045 were allocated to biodegradable polymer DES and 8976 to durable polymer DES. Treatment of biodegradable polymer DES was not associated with a significant reduction of any of the clinical outcomes (all-cause mortality, odds ratio [OR]: 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80 to 1.10, P = 0.42; cardiovascular mortality, OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.79 to 1.19, P = 0.74; MI, OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.91 to 1.26, P = 0.41; TLR, OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.69 to 1.08, P = 0.20; TVR, OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.85 to 1.28, P = 0.67; definite/probable stent thrombosis, OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.59 to 1.07, P = 0.14). Current randomized data indicate that clinical efficacy and safety profiles of biodegradable polymer DES are comparable to those of durable polymer DES. Findings from large-scale studies with rigorous methodology and long follow-up duration are needed.

The Nobori biolimus-eluting stent: update of available evidence

Despite first-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) dramatically reduced the need for repeat revascularization in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, their use was associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events at long-term follow-up. The Nobori biolimus-eluting stent (BES) is a second-generation DES with a biodegradable poly-lactic acid polymer. During the last few years, several randomized trials have compared the Nobori BES with other DES, making this device the most investigated biodegradable DES. In this article, we reviewed current available data about Nobori BES from pharmacokinetic and observational studies to randomized clinical trials.

Biodegradable polymer Biolimus-eluting stent (Nobori®) for the treatment of coronary artery lesions: review of concept and clinical results

First-generation drug-eluting stents have raised concerns regarding the risk of late and very late stent thrombosis compared with bare metal stents and require prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy. Despite extensive investigations, the physiopathology of these late events remains incompletely understood. Aside from patient- and lesion-related risk factors, stent polymer has been cited as one of the potential causes. In fact, the persistence of durable polymer after complete drug release has been shown to be responsible for local hypersensitivity and inflammatory reactions. Third-generation drug-eluting stents with more biocompatible or biodegradable polymers have subsequently been developed to address this problem. In this article, we evaluate and discuss the concept and clinical results (safety and efficacy) of a third-generation drug-eluting stent with biodegradable polymer: the Nobori® stent.

Meta-analysis of bioabsorbable versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents in 20,005 patients with coronary artery disease: an update

OBJECTIVES

To perform an updated meta-analysis comparing biodegradable polymer drug eluting stents (BP-DES) and durable polymer drug eluting stents (DP-DES).

BACKGROUND

BP-DES have been suggested to reduce late stent thrombosis (LST) rates as compared to first generation DP-DES. Recently, second generation DP-DES have replaced older DES, but comparison of these stents with BP-DES has not yielded consistent results.

METHODS

Medline/Web databases were searched for studies comparing BP-DES and DP-DES, and reporting rates of overall/cardiac mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), LST, target lesion revascularization (TLR) and target vessel revascularization (TVR) and late lumen loss (LLL), with a follow-up ≥6 months.

RESULTS

Twenty studies (20,005 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. Median follow-up time was 1 year. Compared with DP-DES, BP-DES showed lower LLL (in stent: weighted mean difference WMD -0.45 mm, 95% CI -0.66 to -0.24 mm, P = 0.00001; in segment: WMD -0.15 mm, 95% CI = -0.24 to -0.06 mm, P = 0.001) and lower rates of LST (OR 0.51, 95% CI = 0.30 to 0.86, P = 0.01), although they did not improve mortality, MI, TLR, and TVR rates. BP-DES coated with sirolimus or novolimus, in comparison with biolimus or paclitaxel, were associated with reduced LLL (P < 0.0001 for subgroups).

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison with DP-DES, BP-DES significantly reduce LLL and LST rates, without clear benefits on harder endpoints. The efficacy of BP-DES in preserving lumen patency seems larger for sirolimus and novolimus DES.

Randomized comparison of biolimus-eluting stents with biodegradable polymer versus everolimus-eluting stents with permanent polymer coatings assessed by optical coherence tomography

We sought to compare the healing patterns of biolimus-eluting stents with biodegradable polymer (BP-BES, Nobori) versus everolimus-eluting stents with permanent polymer (PP-EES, Xience) using intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT). A total of 34 patients undergoing treatment of de novo coronary lesions were randomly assigned to receive BP-BES (n = 15) or PP-EES (n = 19). Stent tissue coverage and apposition as well as the incidence of peri-strut low intensity area (PLIA) were assessed by OCT at 6-8 months. Generalized linear mixed models were used to account for clustered data. OCT imaging was available for 17 lesions with 2,805 struts in the BP-BES group and 22 lesions with 3,890 struts in the PP-EES group. BP-BES as compared to PP-EES showed similar rates of uncovered struts (479 vs. 588, odds ratio (OR) 1.54 (95 % CI 0.63-3.79), P = 0.34) and malapposed struts (46 vs. 32 struts, OR 1.64 [95 % CI 0.21-12.5], P = 0.64). Three lesions with BP-BES (17.6 %) versus 5 lesions with PP-EES (22.7 %) had >30 % uncovered struts (P = 0.78). The proportion of patients with PLIA was similar in both groups (BP-BES 41.2 % vs. PP-EES 36.4 %, OR 1.11 [95 % CI 0.43-2.87], P = 0.83). New generation BP-BES as compared to PP-EES showed similar stent coverage and apposition as assessed by OCT at 6-8 months. In addition, PLIA-possible markers of delayed arterial healing-were observed with similar frequency in both groups.