Dr. Juan F. Iglesias, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Switzerland, discussed promising results from an ad hoc analysis of the BIOSCIENCE trial, the largest published investigator-initiated trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Orsiro to date; the results of the multi-center, randomized, controlled all-comers non-inferiority study were first published in The Lancet. A sub-group of 407 patients suffering from acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI) revealed that patients with this potentially fatal condition benefited from treatment with Orsiro, a sirolimus-eluting stent with a bioabsorbable polymer, in comparison to an everolimus-eluting stent with a durable polymer (DP-EES). At one year, the primary endpoint Target Lesion Failure (TLF) occurred in seven (3.4 percent) patients treated with Orsiro and 17 (8.8 percent) patients treated with DP-EES.
Additionally, new three-year data from the BIOFLOW-II randomized controlled trial was presented. BIOFLOW-II was a prospective, international, multi-center, randomized trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Orsiro compared with Xience Prime. These positive long-term results demonstrated Orsiro's long-term healing properties following treatment of patients with coronary artery disease or high risk disease.
"Further analysis of the high-risk subgroups in the BIOFLOW and BIOSCIENCE trials reveals Orsiro's effectiveness in treating challenging cases," stated lead investigator of the BIOSCIENCE trial Dr. Thomas Pilgrim, University of Bern, Switzerland. "Orsiro's noted benefit for STEMI patients in particular is worth further examination in a randomized trial."
In addition to Dr. Iglesias's presentation on Orsiro, the BIOTRONIK symposium also focused on current and future developments in coronary intervention. Dr. Michael Joner, CVPath, Washington DC, USA, described preclinical work comparing bioabsorbable to permanent polymer DES, addressing the biocompatibility and healing aspects of these technologies. Dr. Pilgrim examined the current controversy regarding dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in combination with bioabsorbable polymer DES implantation. Finally, Dr. Michael Haude, Lukaskrankenhaus, Neuss, Germany, discussed the ongoing BIOSOLVE-II clinical trial, which will establish the safety and performance of BIOTRONIK's drug-eluting absorbable magnesium-based scaffold.*
"Our mission is to save lives and improve quality of life for patients. We achieve this not only with our innovative products like Orsiro, but also by facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise among leaders in the field of vascular intervention," commented Dr. Alexander Uhl, Vice President of Marketing, BIOTRONIK Vascular Intervention. "The excellent calibre of our partners in the medical and scientific community enables us to contribute meaningfully to the debate and develop devices of the highest quality and safety."