While drug-eluting stents have proved successful in repairing coronary arteries, the periphery has been more challenging. The first FDA-approved clinical trial of a drug-coated stent for a peripheral artery began in October.
The DESTINY Trial will examine the effectiveness of the Zilver PTX drug-eluting stent in the above-the-knee femoropopliteal artery. The stent, made by Cook, is self-expanding and coated with the antitumor agent paclitaxel.
The trial will initially be conducted at 10 facilities and will enroll 60 patients. The Zilver PTX stent is 8 cm long, allowing for treatment of lesions up to 7 cm. A maximum of one drug-eluting stent will be implanted per patient. The trial will allow for another Zilver bare metal stent to be used in conjunction with the Zilver PTX if there is a dissection.
Results reported earlier this year from the first phase of the SIROCCO Trial conducted in Europe showed promise for the Cordis Smart sirolimus-eluting stent in the periphery. The stent was 8 cm long and 1 to 2 mm larger than the vessel diameter (6 to 7 mm). A maximum of three stents per patient were implanted. Investigators also determined that a slow-eluting rate is better than a faster one.
The Reading Room Podcast: Current Perspectives on the Updated Appropriate Use Criteria for Brain PET
March 18th 2025In a new podcast, Satoshi Minoshima, M.D., Ph.D., and James Williams, Ph.D., share their insights on the recently updated appropriate use criteria for amyloid PET and tau PET in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
What is the Best Use of AI in CT Lung Cancer Screening?
April 18th 2025In comparison to radiologist assessment, the use of AI to pre-screen patients with low-dose CT lung cancer screening provided a 12 percent reduction in mean interpretation time with a slight increase in specificity and a slight decrease in the recall rate, according to new research.
Meta-Analysis Shows Merits of AI with CTA Detection of Coronary Artery Stenosis and Calcified Plaque
April 16th 2025Artificial intelligence demonstrated higher AUC, sensitivity, and specificity than radiologists for detecting coronary artery stenosis > 50 percent on computed tomography angiography (CTA), according to a new 17-study meta-analysis.