May 19th, 2010
Novel Platinum Chromium Alloy Stent Found Safe and Effective
Larry Husten, PHD
Novel Platinum Chromium Alloy Stent Found Safe and Effective: The Taxus Element paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES), which features a novel, thin-strut platinum chromium alloy “designed to enhance radiopacity, radial strength, and conformability,” was found safe and effective in the PERSEUS (Prospective Evaluation in a Randomized Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of the Use of the TAXUS Element Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System) Workhorse trial. In an expedited publication in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Kereiakes and colleagues report on 1,262 patients with typical de novo coronary lesions who were randomized on a 3:1 basis to the Taxus Element or the Taxus Express PES. At one year, the rate of target lesion failure was 5.57% for Taxus Element and 6.14% for Taxus Express, a difference that met the predefined Bayesian criteria for noninferiority. No significant differences in clinical outcome were observed between the two groups.
