THURSDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- At one year, the novel thin-strut platinum chromium alloy TAXUS Element paclitaxel-eluting stent appears comparable to the TAXUS Express stent in treating coronary artery stenoses, according to research published in the July 20 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Dean J. Kereiakes, M.D., of the Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, and colleagues performed a prospective, randomized trial comparing the safety and efficacy of the TAXUS Element stent and the TAXUS Express stent for the treatment of coronary artery stenoses in 1,262 patients.
The researchers found the TAXUS Element, received by 942 patients, non-inferior to the TAXUS Express, received by 320 patients, in terms of both incidence of target lesion failure (5.57 percent versus 6.14 percent, respectively) and percentage diameter stenosis (in [percent DS] 3.09 and 3.12, respectively). There were no differences in clinical outcomes at 12 months between stent treatments, and stent thrombosis was rare.
"At one year, the TAXUS Element is comparable in efficacy to the TAXUS Express PES. Furthermore, no safety concerns related to the novel platinum chromium alloy or stent design were observed," the authors write.
The study was funded by Boston Scientific, which makes the TAXUS Element and TAXUS Express stents. Several authors disclosed financial ties to Boston Scientific and other medical device companies.
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