Abbott initiates next phase of coronary stent trial

This second phase of the Absorb clinical trial will enroll approximately 80 patients at 10 centers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and will incorporate device enhancements designed to improve deliverability and vessel support.

Results from the first stage of the Absorb trial with 30 patients demonstrated that Abbott’s bioabsorbable everolimus eluting stent successfully treated coronary artery disease, and that at two years, the treated vessel was able to expand and contract, without being restricted by a permanent implant -indicating that the device was absorbed.

John Ormiston, co-principal investigator in the Absorb trial, said: “Based on the strong clinical outcomes from the first stage of Abbott’s bioabsorbable device trial, interventional cardiologists have been eager to enroll their patients into the second stage of the trial.

“If the bioabsorbable stent continues to perform well in this trial and subsequent larger trials with more complex narrowings, bioabsorbable device technology may become the new standard of care for patients with coronary artery disease.”