Drug-eluting stents in preclinical studies: updated consensus recommendations for preclinical evaluation

Coronary drug-eluting stents are commonplace in clinical practice with acceptable safety and efficacy. Preclinical evaluation of novel drug-eluting stent technologies has great importance for understanding safety and possibly efficacy of these technologies, and well-defined preclinical testing methods clearly benefit multiple communities within the developmental, testing, and clinical evaluation chain. An earlier consensus publication enjoyed widespread adoption but is in need of updating. This publication is an update, presenting an integrated view for testing drug-eluting technologies in preclinical models, including novel devices such as bioabsorbable coatings, totally bioabsorbable stents, bifurcation stents, and stent-free balloon-based drug delivery. This consensus document was produced by preclinical and translational scientists and investigators engaged in interventional technology community. The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) recently issued a Draft Guidance for Industry Document for Drug-Eluting Stents. This expert consensus document is consistent with the Food and Drug Administration guidance. The dynamic nature of this field mandates future modifications and additions that will be added over time.