Long-term data from the two-stage ABSORB trial, which is evaluating the Absorb drug-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) for the treatment of coronary artery disease, were presented at the TCT congress in San Francisco, USA.
At five years, there were no reports of cardiac deaths, thromboses or ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation in the first stage of the ABSORB trial, which enrolled 30 patients. The major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rate at five years was 3.4%, with no new events reported between six months and five years.
At two years, no blood clots and a MACE rate of 6.8% were reported in 44 patients from the second stage of the ABSORB trial. Imaging data at two years showed a low late loss of 0.27mm, which is comparable to the one-year result. Of the patients’ vessels that were assessed for vasomotor function at two years, the majority showed signs of vasomotion.
“These outcomes suggest that a temporary scaffold like Absorb provides durable results over the long term and a permanent implant may not be necessary to effectively treat patients with coronary artery disease,” said Patrick W Serruys, professor of interventional cardiology at the Thoraxcentre, Erasmus University Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and primary investigator for the ABSORB trial. “The clinical results suggest that this innovative therapy could provide long-term benefits for patients with coronary artery disease.”
Additionally, 18-month data from 101 patients enrolled in the second stage of the ABSORB trial were presented. The results were consistent with what have been reported to date in the ABSORB trial: no cases of cardiac death or blood clots and a MACE rate of 8%.
