SPIRIT III Shows Less MACE for Xience than Taxus

October 23, 2007 – After 12 months of the SPIRIT III trial, there were significantly fewer major adverse cardiac events (MACE) such as heart attacks, deaths from cardiac causes or repeat procedures (angioplasty or surgery) to clear the original vessel blockage after using a Xience V everolimus-eluting coronary stent than a Taxus paclitaxel-eluting stent, researchers reported at TCT 2007.

The rate of the primary endpoint, in-segment late loss was also reduced by 50 percent with the Xience V stent compared to Taxus. There were no significant differences in other secondary endpoints between the two stent types, including target vessel failure and stent thrombosis.

“Both the primary endpoint of the trial and the major secondary endpoint were met. Moeover, the reduction in major adverse cardiac events with the Xience V stent compared to the Taxus stent is an important finding that signifies improved long-term outcomes for patients with heart disease,” said Gregg W. Stone, M.D., chairman, Cardiovascular Research Foundation, professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center.

For more information: www.crf.org