Sirolimus- Versus Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons for Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease

Pier Pasquale Leone1, Gianmaria Calamita2, Mauro Gitto2

  • 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy; Cardio Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy; Division of Cardiology, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York.

Insights

Sirolimus-coated balloons (SCB) and paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) show similar 12-month efficacy for coronary artery disease (CAD). This study found no significant difference in target lesion failure rates between SCB and PCB treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Medical Devices

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) management increasingly utilizes drug-coated balloons.
  • Sirolimus-coated balloons (SCB) and paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) are leading treatment options.
  • Limited comparative data exists for SCB versus PCB in real-world CAD treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the clinical outcomes of SCB versus PCB angioplasty in patients with CAD.
  • To evaluate the 12-month target lesion failure (TLF) rate as a primary endpoint.
  • To assess efficacy and safety in both de novo lesions and in-stent restenosis (ISR).

Main Methods:

  • Observational, retrospective, investigator-driven cohort study at two Italian centers.
  • Enrolled consecutive all-comer patients treated with SCB or PCB between 2018-2023.
  • Used inverse probability of treatment weighting for comparative analysis; primary endpoint was 12-month TLF.

Main Results:

  • 1320 patients (1569 lesions) were analyzed; 990 received SCB, 330 received PCB.
  • Higher proportion of in-stent restenosis (ISR) in the SCB group (38% vs. 22%).
  • 12-month TLF rates were similar: 10.5% for SCB vs. 8.2% for PCB (AHR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.57-1.75).
  • SCB and PCB showed comparable TLF rates for both ISR and de novo lesions.
  • ISR was a significant predictor of TLF (AHR: 2.67; 95% CI: 1.74-4.10).

Conclusions:

  • Sirolimus-coated balloons (SCB) and paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) demonstrate similar clinical efficacy and safety for treating coronary artery disease.
  • The choice between SCB and PCB may not significantly impact major adverse cardiac events at 12 months.
  • In-stent restenosis presents a higher risk for target lesion failure, irrespective of the drug-coated balloon used.