Is sirolimus better than paclitaxel? A review of the comparative data on drug-eluting stents

Drug-eluting stents have been unequivocally demonstrated to reduce in-stent restenosis when compared to bare metal stents, with resultant lower rates of repeat revascularization. Comparative data are now emerging which compare the performance of sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents to each other rather than to bare metal stents. In this article, we review these data with the aim of placing the studies in context thereby providing an overall view of this rapidly developing field as it stands at present.