Six-month results of a biodegradable polymer and rapamycin-coating stent for coronary artery disease

Objective To assess the safety and efficacy of a novel biodegradable polymer and rapamycin-coating stent, the EXCEL stent, in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), as compared with the Cypher? stent. Methods In this prospective, non-randomized study, 60 consecutive patients with symptomatic CAD received either an EXCEL stent (n=32), or a Cypher? stent(n=28),according to their respective treatment intention. Follow-up angiography was performed at a mean of 180±40 days. The primary endpoint of the study was the occurrence of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE), including death, myocardial infarction, or target-vessel revascularization during the 6 months after stenting. The secondary end points included the in-stent late luminal loss (LLL), percentage of in-stent stenosis of the luminal diameter, and the rate of restenosis (luminal narrowing of 50 percent or more) at 6 months. Results There were no significant differences between the two groups in baseline characteristics, including the distribution of target vessel and lesion types. During the follow up period of 6 months, there were no occurrences of MACE in either group. Twenty-seven patients (84%) in the EXCEL group and 10 (36 %) in the Cypher? group underwent quantitative coronary angiography at 6 months. For these patients, no restenosis occurred, and there were no differences in the in-stent stenosis of the luminal diameter (5.98±5.52 % vs 5.21±6.3%, P>0.05) and the LLL (-0.02±0.09 mm vs -0.01+0.07 mm, P>0.05). Conclusions Compared with the Cypher? stent, the EXCEL Stent with biodegradable polymer and rapamycin-coating showed similar efficacy in the prevention of neointimal proliferation, restenosis, and associated clinical events in CAD patients.