Highlights from the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's 18th Annual TCT Scientific Symposium

Newswise — Data from several Late Breaking Clinical Trials were presented for the first time at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's (CRF) eighteenth annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in Washington, D.C.: ZOMAXX I: Mixed Results with zotarolimus-eluting stent - Zotarolimus-eluting stent achieved non-inferiority endpoints, but in-stent late loss increased.

The zotarolimus-eluting ZoMaxx stent achieved its non-inferiority endpoint of in-segment late loss in a comparison with the paclitaxel-eluting Taxus stent, according to Bernard Chevalier, MD, of the Centre Cardiologie du Nord in St. Denis, France.

In a late-breaking presentation given on Monday, the median 9-month in-segment late loss was 0.29 mm with ZoMaxx (Abbott Vascular Devices) vs. 0.22 mm with Taxus (Boston Scientific). This finding was within the protocol-specified non-inferiority margin of 0.25 mm.

LONG-DES II: Cypher More Effective For Long Lesions - In-segment restenosis lower in patients treated with sirolimus stents.

Results of the LONG-DES II (Percutaneous Treatment of Long Native Coronary Lesions with Drug-Eluting Stent—II: Cypher versus Taxus) trial were presented by Seung-Jung Park, MD, an interventional cardiologist at the University of Ulsan College of Medicine in South Korea.

Researchers found that the rate of in-segment restenosis was 77% lower among patients with long native coronary lesions treated with sirolimus-eluting stents (Cypher, Cordis/Johnson & Johnson) compared to those patients treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents (Taxus, Boston Scientific).

NORDIC BIFURCATION: Optional Side Branch Stenting as Effective as Mandatory Stenting.

The two strategies were compared in de novo bifurcation lesions using sirolimus-eluting stents.

According to results from the Nordic Bifurcation trial, stenting the main vessel and optionally stenting of the side branch can be recommended as the routine bifurcation stenting technique.

At eight months follow-up, the rate of main vessel in-lesion stenosis with diameter > 50% was 5.3% with optional side branch stenting and 5.1% with mandatory side branch stenting.

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