Contrary to previous gains with new interventional technology, data suggest that second-generation, everolimus-eluting stents have similar rates of death as CABG. Moreover, PCI with these stents had increased rates of MI and repeat revascularization but a lower rate of stroke. 

TOTAL may not totally spell the end of routine manual thrombectomy with PCI, but it should make interventional cardiologists think twice about using it with STEMI patients. The large, international trial showed no clinical benefit and possible harm.

Stealth BioTherapeutics (Stealth), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing drug candidates for the treatment of diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction, today announced its EMBRACE results. EMBRACE is a Phase 2 multinational clinical study evaluating Bendavia in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The results were presented at the American College of Cardiology 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego, California, during the Late-Breaking Clinical Trials (LBCT) session, Main Tent, from 8:00 AM to 9:15 AM PT.

NeoStem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel cell based personalized medicine therapies, announced today the presentation of updated efficacy and safety results from the one-year follow-up for its Phase 2 PreSERVE study and additional analyses of certain functional tests at ACC.15, the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session and Expo, in San Diego, California. The one-year follow-up results are defined as all data accumulated until the last patient enrolled completed 12 month follow-up.  Thus, the results actually represent data from patients with a median follow-up of 18 months.

Advancing its interventional coronary portfolio with breakthrough engineering concepts in device design and technology, Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) unveiled the preclinical outcomes of its novel Drug-Filled Stent (DFS) at the 64th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The preclinical data showed controlled and efficacious drug elution into the arterial wall without a polymer carrier, while reducing diameter stenosis and achieving complete stent coverage quickly without inflammation. Based on these results, Medtronic plans to initiate a clinical trial in the coming months.

Advancing its interventional coronary portfolio with breakthrough engineering concepts in device design and technology, Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) unveiled the preclinical outcomes of its novel Drug-Filled Stent (DFS) at the 64th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The preclinical data showed controlled and efficacious drug elution into the arterial wall without a polymer carrier, while reducing diameter stenosis and achieving complete stent coverage quickly without inflammation. Based on these results, Medtronic plans to initiate a clinical trial in the coming months.

Jeffrey Cavendish, MD, of Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, shared his impressions of the first day of the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) scientific session with Cardiovascular Business. His highlights touch on three Ps: prevention, PROMISE and PEGASUS.

Over the long term, therapy that combined ticagrelor and aspirin appeared to maintain a lower rate of recurrent MI, cardiovascular death or stroke in patients with prior MI. Rates of major bleeding, however were higher with the P2Y12 receptor inhibitor over the three-year follow-up.