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Background: Numerous randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the superiority of paclitaxel drug-coated balloons (DCBs) over non-coated angioplasty balloons for treatment of femoropopliteal peripheral arterial disease (PAD). There is a paucity of clinical evidence in more complex patients who are often excluded from RCTs and long-term data up to 5 years are very limited in PAD revascularisation studies., Aims: This is a report of the 5-year outcomes from the prospective, single-arm, international IN.PACT Global Study. The IN.PACT Admiral DCB was evaluated for femoropopliteal atherosclerotic disease treatment in a real-world patient population., Methods: In total, 1,535 patients were enrolled at 64 international sites. The prespecified clinical cohort included 1,406 patients with claudication or rest pain. Patients were evaluated up to 5 years for the occurrence of adverse events and clinically driven target lesion revascularisations (CD-TLR)., Results: The mean lesion length was 12.1±9.5 cm in 1,774 lesions, 18.0% had in-stent restenosis, 35.5% were total occlusions and 68.7% were calcified. Per independent clinical events committee adjudication, the Kaplan-Meier estimate of freedom from CD-TLR up to 5 years was 69.4%, and the restricted mean survival time to first CD-TLR was 1,470.1 days. Outcomes were similar for males and females; freedom from CD-TLR was 69.1% in females and 69.6% in males (p=0.602). The cumulative incidence of major adverse events for the clinical cohort was 45.9% and freedom from all-cause mortality with the vital status update was 78.9% up to 5 years., Conclusions: The IN.PACT Admiral DCB demonstrated safe and durable outcomes in real-world participants with complex femoropopliteal disease., Clinicaltrials: gov: NCT01609296.

Purpose: After promising small randomized trials, the aim of BIOLUX P-III was to further investigate the safety and performance of the Passeo-18 lx drug-coated balloon in infrainguinal arteries under real-world conditions., Methods: BIOLUX P-III is a global prospective single-arm study with follow-up at 6, 12 and 24 months. The primary safety endpoint was freedom from major adverse events (MAE) within 6 months. The primary performance endpoint was freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) within 12 months., Results: 877 patients/1084 lesions were enrolled. Diabetes mellitus was present in 47.7%, and 42.1% had critical limb ischemia (CLI). The mean lesion length was 89.0 mm with 76.1% of calcified lesions, and 24.9% occluded. At 24 months, freedom from MAE was 83.1% in the full cohort; 84.9% in the femoropopliteal population (592 patients, 691 lesions); 77.7% for long lesions (187 subjects/192 lesions); and 72.5% in the in-stent restenosis (ISR) subgroup (103 subjects/116 lesions). Twenty-four-month freedom from clinically driven TLR was 88.1% in the full cohort; 88.9% in the femoropopliteal population; 80.3% for the long lesions; and 78.4% for ISR. Twenty-four-month all-cause mortality was 12.0% in the full cohort, 10.2% in the femoropopliteal population, 14.8% for the long lesions and 12.0% for ISR. There was no device- or procedure-related death up to 24-month follow-up., Conclusion: The BIOLUX P-III 24-month outcomes confirm the safety and performance of Passeo-18 lx in infrainguinal arteries in a large population treated under real-world conditions with low complication rates and good clinical outcomes (NCT02276313).

Objectives: The aim of the BIOLUX P-III (A Prospective, International, Multi-Centre, Post-Market All-Comers Registry to Assess the Clinical Performance of the Passeo-18 Lux Paclitaxel Releasing Balloon Catheter in Infrainguinal Arteries - III) registry was to collect real-world data on the Passeo-18 Lux paclitaxel-coated balloon., Background: Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a severe condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Prospective data are needed to provide further insights on drug-eluting devices., Methods: BIOLUX P-III is a prospective, post-market, all-comers registry assessing the safety and performance of the Passeo-18 Lux. Clinical information was collected at 6, 12, and 24 months. The authors report 24-month outcomes of the CLI subgroup with patients in Rutherford classes 4 to 6., Results: The CLI subgroup included 328 patients with 422 lesions. Patients were 71.1 ± 10.5 years of age, and 61.0% had diabetes. Femoropopliteal lesions were present in 53.8% (n = 227), below-the-knee lesions were present in 27.0% (n = 114), and lesions were moderate or heavily calcified in 45.0% (n = 190). Major adverse events, defined as 30-day device- or procedure-related mortality, major target limb amputation, and clinically driven target lesion revascularization, occurred in 9.8% of patients through 6 months, in 14.9% through 12 months, and in 19.4% through 24 months. Clinically driven target lesion revascularization occurred in 4.4%, 8.5%, and 12.1%, major amputation in 4.9%, 5.2%, and 6.1%, and mortality in 8.1%, 11.1%, and 20.1%, respectively. Predictors of mortality were age ≥75 years and higher Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus Document on Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease class, and higher Rutherford class was associated with increased mortality and amputation rates., Conclusions: In a large, multimorbid patient population with complex lesions and CLI, the safety and performance of the Passeo-18 Lux paclitaxel-coated balloon has been confirmed, with low rates of major amputation and target lesion revascularization., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To report the 36-month outcomes from the prospective, multicenter, single-arm IN.PACT Global Study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01609296) evaluating the performance of the IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloon (DCB) in real-world patients with femoropopliteal occlusive disease. Materials and Methods: The IN.PACT Global Study was conducted at 64 international sites and enrolled 1535 patients with complex lesions, which included bilateral disease, multiple lesions, de novo in-stent restenosis, long lesions, and chronic total occlusions. The predefined full clinical cohort included 1406 patients (mean age 68.6 years; 67.8% men) with claudication or rest pain treated with the study DCB. Mean lesion length was 12.09±9.54 cm; 18.0% had in-stent restenosis, 35.5% were totally occluded, and 68.7% were calcified. Freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) was evaluated through 36 months. The safety composite endpoint was freedom from device- and procedure-related death through 30 days and freedom from major target limb amputation and clinically-driven target vessel revascularization within 36 months. All safety and revascularization events were reviewed by an independent clinical events committee. Results: The Kaplan-Meier estimate of freedom from CD-TLR through 36 months was 76.9%. The composite safety endpoint was achieved in 75.6% of patients. The 36-month all-cause mortality rate was 11.6%, and the major target limb amputation rate was 1.0%. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of freedom from CD-TLR through 36 months was significantly lower in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) compared with claudicants (67.6% vs 78.0%; p=0.003). Lesions affecting both the superficial femoral artery (SFA) and popliteal artery had lower Kaplan-Meier freedom from CD-TLR through 36 months (69.2%) than either isolated SFA (79.7%) or popliteal artery lesions (76.5%; log- rank p<0.001). Predictors of CD-TLR through 36 months included increased lesion length, reference vessel diameter ≤4.5 mm, in-stent restenosis, bilateral disease, CLTI, and hyperlipidemia. Conclusion: DCB angioplasty with the IN.PACT Admiral DCB for femoropopliteal disease in a diverse and complex real-world population is associated with sustained clinical efficacy and low rates of reinterventions at 3 years after the initial procedure.

Purpose: To further investigate the safety and performance of the Passeo-18 Lux drug-coated balloon (DCB) for the treatment of atherosclerotic infrainguinal disease under real-world conditions. Materials and Methods: BIOLUX P-III is an international, prospective, observational registry ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02276313) conducted at 41 centers in Europe, Asia, and Australia with follow-up visits at 6, 12, and 24 months. Of 700 patients (mean age 70.0±10.2 years; 439 men) with 863 lesions in the all-comers cohort, 330 (47.1%) patients had diabetes and 234 (37.7%) had chronic limb-threatening ischemia. The majority (79.3%) of lesions were in the femoropopliteal segment; of all lesions, 645 (74.9%) were calcified and 99 (11.5%) had in-stent restenosis (ISR). The mean lesion length was 84.7±73.3 mm. The primary clinical endpoint was major adverse events (MAEs) within 6 months, a composite of device- and procedure-related mortality through 30 days, major target limb amputation, and clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (TLR). The primary performance endpoint was clinically-driven TLR within 12 months. Results: At 6 and 12 months, freedom from MAEs was 94.0% and 89.5% in the all-comers cohort: 95.0% and 91.2% in the femoropopliteal group and 95.3% and 88.0% in the ISR subgroup, respectively. Freedom from clinically-driven TLR at 12 months was 93.1% in the all-comers cohort, 93.9% in the femoropopliteal lesions, and 89.4% for ISR lesions. All-cause mortality was 6.1% in the all-comers cohort: 5.9% in both the femoropopliteal and ISR subgroups. There were no device- or procedure-related deaths at up to 12 months. The Rutherford category improved in >80% of all subgroups at 12 months. Conclusion: In a real-world patient population, the safety and performance of the Passeo-18 Lux DCB for the treatment of atherosclerotic infrainguinal lesions are maintained, with good performance outcomes and low complication rates at 12 months.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and sustainability of drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment of femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis (ISR). Materials and Methods: An investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, 1:1 randomized study enrolled 88 patients for treatment of ISR with DCB (n=47; mean age 68.3±9.6 years; 26 men) or uncoated balloon (n=41; mean age 67.6±10.2 years; 26 men) angioplasty ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01594684). Additionally, the protocol provided for an observational arm composed of patients from either randomized arm who experienced recurrent ISR ≥30 days after the index treatment. Redo treatment consisted of 2 DCBs sequentially inflated at the same location (double dose therapy). The majority of patients (66, 78%) had Rutherford category 3 ischemia. The mean lesion length was 140 mm; a third (27, 31%) were total occlusions. The primary endpoint was angiographic late lumen loss (LLL) at 6 months evaluated by an independent core laboratory. Results: Twenty-two patients (7 DCB +15 uncoated) were treated for recurrence with fully overlapping double DCB angioplasty. Six-month LLL was lower after DCB (0.34±1.12 mm) treatment than after angioplasty with an uncoated balloon (1.58±1.10 mm, p<0.001). At the 12-month follow-up, target lesion revascularization (TLR) was performed in 18 (49%) of 37 patients in the uncoated group, 6 (14%) of 43 patients in the single-dose DCB group (p=0.001), and no patients from the recurrent ISR group. At ~2 years after treatment, a remarkable number (14/27, 52%) of TLRs were recorded in the single-dose DCB group. Conclusion: Treatment with DCBs resulted in significantly less 6-month LLL and fewer TLRs up to 24 months than treatment with uncoated balloons. The double dose for treating recurrent ISR did not cause recognizable adverse events or require TLR up to 24 months.

Background While randomized trials have demonstrated the superiority of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty versus standard percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in patients with femoropopliteal peripheral artery disease, the long-term durability of DCB angioplasty remains uncertain. Methods and Results IN.PACT SFA is a prospective, multicenter, randomized single-blinded trial (Randomized Trial of IN.PACT Admiral Paclitaxel-Coated Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty [PTA] Balloon Catheter vs Standard PTA for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral Artery [SFA] and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery [PPA]) that enrolled 331 subjects with symptomatic (Rutherford 2-4) femoropopliteal lesions. Subjects were randomly assigned 2:1 to the IN.PACT Admiral DCB or PTA. Assessments through 5 years included freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization, the primary safety end point, and major adverse events. Through 5 years, patients treated with the IN.PACT Admiral DCB demonstrated a sustained treatment effect with superior freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization when compared with PTA (Kaplan-Meier estimate of 74.5% versus 65.3%; log-rank P=0.020). The primary safety composite was achieved in 70.7% of subjects in the DCB and 59.6% in the PTA groups ( P=0.068). The major adverse event rate was 42.9% for DCB and 48.1% for PTA ( P=0.459). There were no device- or procedure-related deaths in either group as adjudicated by an independent and blinded Clinical Events Committee. Conclusions The IN.PACT SFA randomized trial demonstrates that the IN.PACT Admiral DCB continues to perform better than PTA through 5 years with higher freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization. The sustained safety and effectiveness profile of this DCB supports its use as a preferred treatment choice compared with PTA for femoropopliteal lesions. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01175850 (IN.PACT SFA phase I) and NCT01566461 (IN.PACT SFA phase II).

Background: Five years of prospective clinical trials confirm that the paclitaxel drug-coated balloon (DCB) (IN.PACT Admiral, Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) is safe and effective to treat femoropopliteal artery disease. A recent meta-analysis of heterogeneous trials of paclitaxel-based balloons and stents reported that they are associated with increased mortality and that higher doses are linked to higher mortality from 2 to 5 years., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between paclitaxel exposure and mortality by conducting an independent patient-level meta-analysis of 1,980 patients with up to 5-year follow-up., Methods: Data from 2 single-arm and 2 randomized independently adjudicated prospective studies of a paclitaxel DCB (n = 1,837) and uncoated percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) (n = 143) were included. Analyses of baseline, procedure, and follow-up data of individual patients were performed to explore correlations of paclitaxel dose with long-term mortality. Survival time by paclitaxel dose tercile was analyzed with adjustment of inverse probability weighting to correct baseline imbalances and study as random effect. A standard cohort was defined to compare DCB- and PTA-treated patients with similar characteristics by applying criteria from pivotal studies (n = 712 DCB, n = 143 PTA)., Results: A survival analysis stratified nominal paclitaxel dose by low, mid, and upper terciles; mean doses were 5,019.0, 10,007.5, and 19,978.2 μg, respectively. Rates of freedom from all-cause mortality between the 3 groups through 5 years were 85.8%, 84.2%, and 88.2%, respectively (p = 0.731). There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between DCB and PTA through 5 years comparing all patients (unadjusted p = 0.092) or patients with similar characteristics (adjusted p = 0.188)., Conclusions: This independent patient-level meta-analysis demonstrates that this paclitaxel DCB is safe. Within DCB patients, there was no correlation between level of paclitaxel exposure and mortality. (Randomized Trial of IN.PACT Admiral® Drug Coated Balloon vs Standard PTA for the Treatment of SFA and Proximal Popliteal Arterial Disease [INPACT SFA I], NCT01175850; IN.PACT Admiral Drug-Coated Balloon vs. Standard Balloon Angioplasty for the Treatment of Superficial Femoral Artery [SFA] and Proximal Popliteal Artery [PPA] [INPACT SFA II], NCT01566461; MDT-2113 Drug-Eluting Balloon vs. Standard PTA for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral Artery and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery [MDT-2113 SFA], NCT01947478; The IN.PACT SFA Clinical Study for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral Artery and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery Using the IN.PACT Admiral™ Drug-Eluting Balloon in a Chinese Patient Population, NCT02118532; and IN.PACT Global Clinical Study, NCT01609296)., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study evaluated the 12-month safety and effectiveness of a paclitaxel drug-coated balloon for treatment of intermittent claudication or rest pain in subjects with femoropopliteal chronic total occlusions (CTO)., Background: CTOs are difficult to treat, and the optimal intervention remains to be determined., Methods: The IN.PACT Global Study is an international single-arm study that enrolled 1,535 patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal artery disease. The study contains prospectively defined cohorts with prospectively planned imaging analyses, including a CTO (≥5 cm) cohort in which subjects underwent duplex ultrasonography analyzed by an independent core laboratory. The primary safety endpoint was a composite of freedom from device- and procedure-related mortality through 30 days, and freedom from major target limb amputation and target vessel revascularization through 12 months. An independent Clinical Events Committee adjudicated all adverse events. The primary effectiveness endpoint was primary patency at 12 months, defined as freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization and freedom from restenosis., Results: The CTO imaging cohort had 126 subjects with 127 lesions (mean lesion length 22.83 ± 9.76 cm). Primary patency by Kaplan-Meier estimate was 85.3% through 12 months. Provisional stenting was performed in 46.8% of lesions. The primary safety composite endpoint was achieved by 88.7% of subjects. There were no device- or procedure-related deaths through 30 days or major target limb amputations through 12 months., Conclusions: The paclitaxel drug-coated balloon was safe and highly effective at 12 months after treatment of subjects with CTO ≥5 cm in the femoropopliteal arteries. (IN.PACT Global Clinical Study; NCT01609296)., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background The IN.PACT Global Study was an international prospective single-arm clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a drug-coated balloon in the treatment of atherosclerotic disease of the superficial femoral and/or popliteal arteries (P1-P3) in subjects with intermittent claudication and/or rest pain. Prespecified subjects were selected for core-laboratory-adjudicated duplex ultrasound imaging, including a subcohort with long lesions (≥15 cm). Methods and Results Subjects were followed for 12 months. The primary safety end point was a composite of freedom from device- and procedure-related mortality through 30 days and freedom from major target limb amputation and clinically-driven target vessel revascularization through 12 months. An independent Clinical Events Committee adjudicated all adverse events. The primary effectiveness end point was primary patency at 12 months (by duplex ultrasound). The long lesion imaging cohort had 157 subjects (164 lesions). Mean lesion length was 26.40±8.61 cm. Provisional stents were implanted in 39.4% (63/160) of lesions. Primary patency by Kaplan-Meier estimate was 91.1%, and freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization was 94.2% at 12 months. The primary safety composite end point was achieved by 94.0% (126/134) of subjects. There were no device- or procedure-related deaths or major target limb amputations. Conclusions The IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloon was safe and highly effective at 12 months after treatment in a rigorous independently adjudicated analysis of real-world subjects with lesions ≥15 cm in the superficial femoral and/or popliteal arteries (P1-P3). CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01609296.

Objectives: The IN.PACT Global Study is the largest prospective, multicenter, independently adjudicated trial to evaluate a paclitaxel drug-coated balloon in patients with lifestyle-limiting claudication and/or ischemic rest pain due to atherosclerotic disease of the femoropopliteal artery and includes complex lesions beyond what are typically included in randomized controlled trials., Background: Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of drug-coated balloons for the treatment of Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus Document II A and B lesions, but there is a need for large-scale prospective studies to evaluate a broader range of lesions., Methods: The IN.PACT Global Study enrolled 1,535 subjects, and 1,406 (1,773 lesions) were included in the pre-defined clinical cohort analysis. Freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization was evaluated at 24 months. The safety composite endpoint was freedom from device- and procedure-related death through 30 days and freedom from target limb major amputation and clinically driven target vessel revascularization within 24 months., Results: Mean lesion length was 12.1 cm, 35.5% were total occlusions, and 18.0% had in-stent restenosis. Freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 24 months was 83.3%, the composite safety endpoint was met in 81.7%, the 2-year all-cause mortality rate was 7.0%, and the major target limb amputation rate was 0.7%. Increased lesion length and the presence of de novo in-stent restenosis or coronary artery disease were associated with increased risk for clinically driven target lesion revascularization by 24 months., Conclusions: This real-world study of femoropopliteal artery disease treatment with drug-coated balloons confirmed positive findings reported from more strictly designed randomized controlled trials and showed that outcomes are durable in this population up to 2 years after treatment. (IN.PACT Global Clinical Study; NCT01609296)., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Randomized controlled trials have reported favorable 1-year outcomes with drug-coated balloons (DCBs) for the treatment of symptomatic peripheral arterial disease when compared with standard percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Evidence remains limited on the durability of the treatment effect with DCBs in the longer term., Methods and Results: IN.PACT SFA is a single-blind, randomized trial (Randomized Trial of IN.PACT Admiral Paclitaxel-Coated Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty [PTA] Balloon Catheter vs Standard PTA for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral Artery [SFA] and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery [PPA]) that enrolled 331 patients with symptomatic (Rutherford 2-4) femoropopliteal lesions up to 18 cm in length. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive treatment with DCB or PTA. The 36-month assessments included primary patency, freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization, major adverse events, and functional outcomes. At 36 months, primary patency remained significantly higher among patients treated with DCB compared with PTA (69.5% versus 45.1%; log rank P <0.001). The rates of clinically driven target lesion revascularization were 15.2% and 31.1% ( P =0.002) for the DCB and PTA groups, respectively. Functional outcomes were similarly improved between treatment groups even though subjects in the DCB group required significantly fewer reinterventions versus those in the PTA group ( P <0.001 for target lesion revascularization, P =0.001 for target vessel revascularization). There were no device- or procedure-related deaths as adjudicated by an independent Clinical Events Committee., Conclusions: Three-year results demonstrate a durable and superior treatment effect among patients treated with DCB versus standard PTA, with significantly higher primary patency and lower clinically driven target lesion revascularization, resulting in similar functional improvements with reduced need for repeat interventions., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT01175850 for IN.PACT SFA phase I in the European Union and NCT01566461 for IN.PACT SFA phase II in the United States., (© 2018 The Authors.)

Objectives: Based on a novel paclitaxel-resveratrol drug matrix, the safety and efficacy to inhibit intimal hyperplasia were studied in symptomatic claudicants with morphologically challenging lesions., Background: The treatment of peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is limited by occurrence of vessel recoil and neointimal hyperplasia. Drug-coated balloons (DCB) deliver drugs to the arterial wall to potentially reduce the restenosis rate. A number of paclitaxel-coated balloon technologies are available to treat peripheral lesions., Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 153 patients with symptomatic PAOD in femoro-popliteal lesions were randomized either to DCB or plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA)., Results: The mean lesion length was 13.2 ± 10.4 cm with target lesion total occlusions in 26.1% of all patients (40/153). The primary endpoint of in-lesion late lumen loss (LLL) at 6 months was significantly reduced in the DCB group as compared to the POBA group (0.35 mm CI [0.19; 0.79 mm] vs. 0.72 mm CI [0.68; 1.22 mm], p = 0.006). At 12 months, the TLR rate in the DCB group was significantly lower as compared to the POBA group (17.8 vs. 37.7% p = 0.008). The censored walking distance increase suggests a benefit for patients who underwent DCB angioplasty as compared to the standard POBA treatment (12 months 165 ± 105 vs. 94 ± 136 m, p = 0.012)., Conclusion: The use of paclitaxel-resveratrol-matrix-coated peripheral balloon angioplasty as compared to POBA was associated with significantly reduced in-lesion LLL and reduced TLR rates. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01970579.

Background: Studies assessing drug-coated balloons (DCB) for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery disease are encouraging. However, challenging lesions, such as severely calcified, remain difficult to treat with DCB alone. Vessel preparation with directional atherectomy (DA) potentially improves outcomes of DCB., Methods and Results: DEFINITIVE AR study (Directional Atherectomy Followed by a Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon to Inhibit Restenosis and Maintain Vessel Patency-A Pilot Study of Anti-Restenosis Treatment) was a multicenter randomized trial designed to estimate the effect of DA before DCB to facilitate the development of future end point-driven randomized studies. One hundred two patients with claudication or rest pain were randomly assigned 1:1 to DA+DCB (n=48) or DCB alone (n=54), and 19 additional patients with severely calcified lesions were treated with DA+DCB. Mean lesion length was 11.2±4.0 cm for DA+DCB and 9.7±4.1 cm for DCB ( P =0.05). Predilation rate was 16.7% for DA+DCB versus 74.1% for DCB; postdilation rate was 6.3% for DA+DCB versus 33.3% for DCB. Technical success was superior for DA+DCB (89.6% versus 64.2%; P =0.004). Overall bail-out stenting rate was 3.7%, and rate of flow-limiting dissections was 19% for DCB and 2% for DA+DCB ( P =0.01). One-year primary outcome of angiographic percent diameter stenosis was 33.6±17.7% for DA+DCB versus 36.4±17.6% for DCB ( P =0.48), and clinically driven target lesion revascularization was 7.3% for DA+DCB and 8.0% for DCB ( P =0.90). Duplex ultrasound patency was 84.6% for DA+DCB, 81.3% for DCB ( P =0.78), and 68.8% for calcified lesions. Freedom from major adverse events at 1 year was 89.3% for DA+DCB and 90.0% for DCB ( P =0.86)., Conclusions: DA+DCB treatment was effective and safe, but the study was not powered to show significant differences between the 2 methods of revascularization in 1-year follow-up. An adequately powered randomized trial is warranted., Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT01366482., (Copyright © 2017 The Author(s).)

Background: Evidence from large, randomized, controlled peripheral artery disease trials reporting long-term outcomes using drug-coated balloons (DCBs) is limited. Previously, the DCB showed favorable 1-year outcomes compared with conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), yet durability of the treatment effect with DCBs remains unknown., Objectives: This study sought to investigate the longer-term outcomes of a paclitaxel-eluting DCB compared to PTA for femoropopliteal lesions., Methods: We enrolled 331 patients with symptomatic (Rutherford 2 to 4) femoropopliteal lesions up to 18 cm in length. Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to treatment with DCB or PTA. The 24-month assessments included primary patency, freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR), major adverse events, and quality of life and functional outcomes as assessed by the EuroQOL-5D quality-of-life questionnaire, walking impairment questionnaire, and 6-min walk test., Results: At 24 months, patients treated with DCB showed significantly higher primary patency when compared with PTA (78.9% vs. 50.1%; p < 0.001). The rates of CD-TLR were 9.1% and 28.3% (p < 0.001) for the DCB and PTA groups, respectively. The overall mortality rate in the DCB group was 8.1% versus 0.9% in the PTA group (p = 0.008). There were no device- or procedure-related deaths and no major amputations in either group through 24-month follow-up. The rate of vessel thrombosis was low (1.5% DCB vs. 3.8% PTA; p = 0.243), with no new events reported between 1 and 2 years. Both groups showed similar functional improvement at 2 years, although DCB patients achieved this level of function with 58% fewer reinterventions., Conclusions: The 24-month outcomes from the trial demonstrate a durable and superior treatment effect of DCB versus PTA with significantly higher primary patency, lower CD-TLR, and similar functional status improvement with fewer repeat interventions. (Randomized Trial of IN.PACT Admiral Drug Eluting Balloon vs Standard PTA for the Treatment of SFA and Proximal Popliteal Arterial Disease [INPACT SFA I]; NCT01175850; and IN.PACT Admiral Drug-Coated Balloon vs. Standard Balloon Angioplasty for the Treatment of Superficial Femoral Artery [SFA] and Proximal Popliteal Artery [PPA] [INPACT SFA II]; NCT01566461)., (Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the novel Passeo-18 Lux paclitaxel-coated balloon compared with the Passeo-18 uncoated balloon in patients with symptomatic de novo or restenotic femoropopliteal lesions., Methods: Sixty patients (34 men; mean age 70.7 ± 10.1 years) in 5 European centers were enrolled in the BIOLUX P-I trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01056120) and randomized 1:1 to either the paclitaxel-coated balloon or the uncoated balloon. The primary endpoint was late lumen loss at 6 months. Secondary endpoints were binary restenosis at 6 months, clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR), change in ankle-brachial index and Rutherford classification, and major adverse events at 6 and 12 months., Results: At 6 months, patients treated with paclitaxel-coated balloons had a significantly lower late lumen loss (0.51 ± 0.72 vs. 1.04 ± 1.00 mm, p = 0.033) and binary restenosis (11.5% vs. 34.6%, p = 0.048) than the control group. Correspondingly, clinically driven TLR was lower in the paclitaxel-coated balloon group at 12 months [15.4% vs. 41.7% (p = 0.064) for the intention-to-treat population and 16.0% vs. 52.9%, (p = 0.020) for the as-treated population]. No death and one minor amputation were observed compared with two deaths and two minor amputations in the control group. No major amputations or thrombosis were reported., Conclusion: The Passeo-18 Lux paclitaxel-coated balloon has been proven to be safe and effective in patients with femoropopliteal lesions, with superior performance outcomes compared with treatment with an uncoated balloon., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 5-year follow-up (FU) data of the THUNDER (Local Taxan With Short Time Contact for Reduction of Restenosis in Distal Arteries)., Background: The THUNDER trial was the first study to investigate the treatment of femoropopliteal arteries with a paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB)., Methods: In 154 patients, femoropopliteal arteries were treated with PCB, with angioplasty with paclitaxel in contrast medium, or no paclitaxel (control). The primary endpoint was 6-month late lumen loss (LLL). Secondary endpoints included freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR), binary restenosis rate, and amputation. The 5-year FU compares outcomes in patients treated with PCB and control subjects. Additionally, LLL at 6 months and TLR up to 5-year FU were analyzed in terms of sex and lesion length., Results: Over the 5-year period, the cumulative number of patients with TLR remained significantly lower in the PCB group (21%) than in the control group (56%, p = 0.0005). In the small group of patients with angiographic and duplex sonographic follow-up, PCB was associated with a lower rate of binary restenosis (17% vs. 54%; p = 0.04). No signs of aneurysm formation or constrictive fibrosis were detected. Whereas LLL at 6-month FU did not differ between men and women in the PCB group, the TLR rate was lower in men than in women at 5-year FU. A benefit of PCB treatment in terms of LLL and TLR was seen independent of lesion length., Conclusions: The reduced TLR rate following PCB treatment was maintained over the 5-year FU period. No signs of drug-related local vessel abnormalities were detected. (Thunder Trial-Local Taxan With Short Time Contact for Reduction of Restenosis in Distal Arteries [THUNDER]; NCT00156624)., (Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Lutonix drug-coated balloon (DCB) coated with 2 μg/mm(2)paclitaxel and a polysorbate/sorbitol carrier for treatment of femoropopliteal lesions., Background: Percutaneous treatment of peripheral vascular disease is associated with a high recurrence. Paclitaxel-coated balloons at 3 μg/mm(2) formulated differently have shown promising results with reduced restenosis. Methods Subjects at 9 centers with Rutherford class 2 to 5 femoropopliteal lesions were randomized between June 2009 and December 2009 to treatment with Lutonix DCB (n = 49) versus uncoated balloons (control group [n = 52]), stratified by whether balloon-only treatment (n = 75) or stenting (n = 26) was intended. The primary endpoint was angiographic late lumen loss at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included adjudicated major adverse events (death, amputation, target lesion thrombosis, reintervention), functional outcomes, and pharmacokinetics., Results: Demographic, peripheral vascular disease, and lesion characteristics were matched, with mean lesion length of 8.1 3.8 cm and 42% total occlusions. At 6 months, late lumen loss was 58% lower for the Lutonix DCB group (0.46 1.13 mm) than for the control group (1.09 1.07 mm; p = 0.016). Composite 24-month major adverse events were 39% for the DCB group, including 15 target lesion revascularizations, 1 amputation, and 4 deaths versus 46% for uncoated balloon group, with 20 target lesion revascularizations, 1 thrombosis, and 5 deaths. Pharmacokinetics showed biexponential decay with peak concentration (Cmax) of 59 ng/ml and total observed exposure (AUC(all)) of 73 ng h/ml. For successful DCB deployment excluding 8 malfunctions, 6-month late lumen loss was 0.39 mm and the 24-month target lesion revascularization rate was 24%., Conclusions: Treatment of femoropopliteal lesions with the low-dose Lutonix DCB reduced late lumen loss with safety comparable to that of control angioplasty. (LEVANT I, The Lutonix Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon for the Prevention of Femoropopliteal Restenosis; NCT00930813), (Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the impact of using paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) on outcome after post-angioplasty dissection in femoropopliteal arteries., Methods: The angiograms obtained in the THUNDER study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00156624) were analyzed to compare degrees of dissection and angiographic parameters between the control (uncoated balloons, n=43) and treatment (PCBs, n=43) groups before and after the intervention and at 6-month follow-up. Furthermore, target lesion revascularizations (TLR) were documented up to 2 years., Results: In each group, 24 (56%) patients had a dissection after the intervention. At the 6-month follow-up, patients with dissection of any grade after treatment with PCBs had significantly less late lumen loss (0.4 mm) than patients with dissection after treatment with uncoated balloons (1.9 mm, p=0.001) and a lower degree of stenosis (20% vs. 51%, respectively; p=0.003). Patients with severe dissection (grades C, D, or E) especially seemed to benefit from the PCBs, with late lumen loss of 0.4 mm vs. 2.4 mm for controls (p=0.05). The binary restenosis rate was also markedly lower in the PCB group (20%) than in the uncoated group (55%, p=0.02). In the 2-year follow-up, TLR was performed in 56% of patients in the control group compared to 10% of patients in the PCB group (p=0.002)., Conclusion: The results of this subgroup analysis suggest that patients with dissection following treatment with a paclitaxel-coated balloon have a very acceptable outcome and stent implantation is not necessary as long as the dissection does not result in acute flow limitation.

Objectives: A prospective, multinational randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a complementary single-arm study evaluated the 2-year safety and effectiveness of a paclitaxel-coated drug-eluting stent (DES) in patients with superficial femoral artery lesions. The RCT compared the DES with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and provisional bare-metal stent (BMS) placement., Background: Local drug delivery for superficial femoral artery lesions has been investigated with the intent of limiting restenosis similarly to DES for the coronary arteries. One-year outcomes of DES in the superficial femoral artery are promising, but longer-term benefits have not been established., Methods: In the RCT, patients were randomly assigned to primary DES implantation (n = 236) or PTA (n = 238). Acute PTA failure occurred in 120 patients, who underwent secondary randomization to DES (n = 61) or BMS (n = 59) placement. The single-arm study enrolled 787 patients with DES treatment., Results: Compared with the control group, the primary DES group demonstrated significantly superior 2-year event-free survival (86.6% vs. 77.9%, p = 0.02) and primary patency (74.8% vs. 26.5%, p < 0.01). In addition, the provisional DES group exhibited superior 2-year primary patency compared with the provisional BMS group (83.4% vs. 64.1%, p < 0.01) and achieved higher sustained clinical benefit (83.9% vs. 68.4%, p = 0.05). Two-year freedom from target lesion revascularization with primary DES placement was 80.5% in the single-arm study and 86.6% in the RCT., Conclusions: Two-year outcomes with the paclitaxel-eluting stent support its sustained safety and effectiveness in patients with femoropopliteal artery disease, including the long-term superiority of the DES to PTA and to provisional BMS placement. (Evaluation of the Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Stent in the Above-the-Knee Femoropopliteal Artery; NCT00120406; Zilver(®) PTX™ Global Registry; NCT01094678)., (Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of drug-eluting stent treatment for femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis (ISR)., Background: ISR after femoropopliteal interventions is an increasing problem. Although the role of drug-eluting stents in the treatment of coronary ISR is well defined, no published studies have examined drug-eluting stents in the treatment of femoropopliteal ISR., Methods: This study examines 108 patients with 119 ISR lesions who were enrolled in the ZILVER-PTX single-arm study, a prospective, multicenter clinical trial of 787 patients. All patients were treated with paclitaxel-eluting nitinol stents., Results: Mean patient age was 68.3 ± 9.4 years; 61.1% of patients were men. Mean lesion length was 133.0 ± 91.7 mm; 33.6% of lesions were >150 mm long and 31.1% of lesions were totally occluded. Procedural success was achieved in 98.2% of lesions with 2.1 ± 1.2 stents placed per lesion. Primary patency was 95.7% at 6 months and 78.8% at 1 year. Freedom from target lesion revascularization was 96.2% at 6 months, 81.0% at 1 year, and 60.8% at 2 years. Forty patients experienced major adverse events, exclusively target lesion revascularization. Before treatment, 81.1% of patients had Rutherford scores ≥3; at 2 years, 60.9% of patients had Rutherford scores ≤1. Both ankle brachial index and walking impairment questionnaire scores significantly improved following treatment. The 1-year fracture rate of stents used in ISR lesions was 1.2%. No significant risk factors associated with loss of patency were identified., Conclusions: Treatment of femoropopliteal ISR with paclitaxel-eluting stents results in favorable acute, midterm, and long-term outcomes. (Zilver PTX Global Registry [ZILVER-PTX]; NCT01094678)., (Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To report a prospective, single-arm, multicenter clinical study evaluating the Zilver PTX drug-eluting stent for treating the above-the-knee femoropopliteal segment (NCT01094678; http://www.clinicaltrials.gov )., Methods: The Zilver PTX drug-eluting stent is a self-expanding nitinol stent with a polymer-free paclitaxel coating. Patients with symptomatic (Rutherford category 2-6) de novo or restenotic lesions (including in-stent stenosis) of the above-the-knee femoropopliteal segment were eligible for enrollment. Between April 2006 and June 2008, 787 patients (578 men; mean age 66.6±9.5 years) were enrolled at 30 international sites., Results: Nine hundred lesions (24.3% restenotic lesions of which 59.4% were in-stent stenoses) were treated with 1722 Zilver PTX stents; the mean lesion length was 99.5±82.1 mm. The 12-month Kaplan-Meier estimates included an 89.0% event-free survival rate, an 86.2% primary patency rate, and a 90.5% rate of freedom from target lesion revascularization. There were no paclitaxel-related adverse events reported. The 12-month stent fracture rate was 1.5%. The ankle-brachial index, Rutherford score, and walking distance/speed scores significantly improved (p<0.001) from baseline to 12 months., Conclusions: These results indicate that the Zilver PTX drug-eluting stent is safe for treatment of patients with de novo and restenotic lesions of the above-the-knee femoropopliteal segment. At 1 year, the overall anatomical and clinical effectiveness results suggest that this stent is a promising endovascular therapy.

Background: The success of percutaneous intervention in peripheral arterial disease is limited by restenosis. The aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate a novel method of local drug delivery., Methods and Results: This randomized multicenter study with blinded reading enrolled 87 patients in Rutherford class 1 to 4 with occlusion or hemodynamically relevant stenosis, restenosis, or in-stent restenosis of femoropopliteal arteries. Treatment was performed by either conventional uncoated or paclitaxel-coated balloon catheters. The primary end point was late lumen loss at 6 months. Secondary end points included restenosis rate, ankle brachial index, Rutherford class, target lesion revascularization, and tolerance up to >18 months. Before intervention, there were no significant differences in lesion characteristics such as reference diameter (5.3+/-1.1 versus 5.2+/-1.0 mm), degree of stenosis (84+/-11% versus 84+/-16%), proportion of restenotic lesions (36% versus 33%), and mean lesion length (5.7 cm [0.8 to 22.6 cm] versus 6.1 cm [0.9 to 19.3 cm]) between treatment groups. The 6-month follow-up angiography performed in 31 of 45 and 34 of 42 patients showed less late lumen loss in the coated balloon group (0.5+/-1.1 versus 1.0+/-1.1 mm; P=0.031). The number of target lesion revascularizations was lower in the paclitaxel-coated balloon group than in control subjects (3 of 45 versus 14 of 42 patients; P=0.002). Improvement in Rutherford class was greater in the coated balloon group (P=0.045), whereas the improvement in ankle brachial index was not different. The difference in target lesion revascularizations between treatment groups was maintained up to >18 months. No adverse events were assessed as related to balloon coating., Conclusions: In this pilot trial, paclitaxel balloon coating caused no obvious adverse events and reduced restenosis in patients undergoing angioplasty of femoropopliteal arteries.

Background: Drug-eluting stents reduce restenosis in coronary arteries, but clinical trials have failed to prove their efficacy in peripheral arteries. We investigated the use of paclitaxel-coated angioplasty balloons and paclitaxel dissolved in the angiographic contrast medium during angioplasty of the leg., Methods: In a small, multicenter trial, we randomly assigned 154 patients with stenosis or occlusion of a femoropopliteal artery to treatment with standard balloon catheters coated with paclitaxel, uncoated balloons with paclitaxel dissolved in the contrast medium, or uncoated balloons without paclitaxel (control). The primary end point was late lumen loss at 6 months., Results: The mean (+/-SD) age of the patients was 68+/-8 years, 24% were smokers, and 49% had diabetes. Twenty-seven percent of the lesions were total occlusions, and 36% were restenotic lesions. The mean lesion length was 7.4+/-6.5 cm. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups. There were no adverse events attributable to the paclitaxel-coated balloons. At 6 months, the mean late lumen loss was 1.7+/-1.8 mm in the control group, as compared with 0.4+/-1.2 mm (P<0.001) in the group treated with paclitaxel-coated balloons and 2.2+/-1.6 mm (P=0.11) in the group treated with paclitaxel in the contrast medium. The rate of revascularization of target lesions at 6 months was 20 of 54 (37%) in the control group, 2 of 48 (4%) in the group treated with paclitaxel-coated balloons (P<0.001 vs. control), and 15 of 52 (29%) in the group treated with paclitaxel in the contrast medium (P=0.41 vs. control); at 24 months, the rates increased to 28 of 54 (52%), 7 of 48 (15%), and 21 of 52 (40%), respectively., Conclusions: Use of paclitaxel-coated angioplasty balloons during percutaneous treatment of femoropopliteal disease is associated with significant reductions in late lumen loss and target-lesion revascularization. No significant benefit is seen with the use of a paclitaxel-containing contrast medium. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00156624 [ClinicalTrials.gov].)., (Copyright 2008 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

Purpose: We sought to evaluate the growth-modulating potential of paclitaxel on cultured human arterial smooth muscle cells depending on the administered dose., Material and Methods: For all experiments human arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were used. SMCs were either cultured for 5 days or for 20 days with paclitaxel (doses: 10(-7) M, 10(-8) M, 10(-9) M). For a total period of 20 days, proliferation kinetics of the SMC were analyzed. To assess the clonogenic activity of the SMC colony-forming assays were performed. Drug- and dose-dependent cell cycle changes were analyzed by flow cytometry. The effect on cell migration was examined in a 2-chamber migration system. The effects of paclitaxel on the synthesis of tenascin were examined via immunofluorescence., Results: Depending on the dose administered, paclitaxel proved to inhibit SMC proliferation effectively when administered during the total period of 20 days. When incubated for 5 days with doses of paclitaxel ranging between 10(-8) M and 10(-9) M, SMCs showed clear signs of regeneration. When being incubated with 10(-7) M of paclitaxel, however, SMCs reacted with a reduction in cell proliferation, a reduced clonogenic activity, and a drug-induced G2/M phase block. SMC migration was inhibited effectively as well as extracellular matrix formation., Conclusion: Paclitaxel is a potent inhibitor of SMC proliferation, SMC migration, and extracellular matrix formation in vitro, with all three phases of the restenosis process inhibited effectively.

Paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty has been established as the first-line therapy for femoropopliteal artery disease. The primary objectives of the study were to evaluate the performance and the safety of the GORE-DCB Catheter in the treatment of atherosclerotic femoropopliteal lesions in patients with peripheral artery disease for CE-Mark approval. Prospective, single-arm, multicenter study with 24 months follow-up. The GORE-DCB Catheter consists of a drug-coated nylon (inner layer)/ePTFE (outer layer) composite balloon. The ePTFE layer is coated with paclitaxel (concentration: 3.5 μg/mm2) and the excipient stearic acid/tromethamine (tris). The primary endpoints were 6-month late lumen loss (LLL) and 30-day of freedom from Major Adverse Events (MAE). Fifty-two subjects were enrolled, 69% men, median age 69 (49–83) years. Acute device success was 100%, the 30-day MAE rate was zero. Study primary endpoint of LLL (−0.17 mm) showed significant superiority compared to the performance goal of uncoated PTA balloon catheters from literature. At 1 and 2 years, primary patency rates were 81.8% and 68.7%, respectively, and freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization rates was 87.9% and 83.4%, respectively. The study demonstrates that the treatment of lesions in femoropopliteal arteries with the GORE-DCB Catheter is safe and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The principal objective of this pooled analysis was to investigate various patient and lesion characteristics on late lumen loss (LLL) after drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty.Background: Four randomized controlled trials (THUNDER, FEMPAC, PACIFIER, CONSEQUENT) were pooled to investigate the influence of various patient and lesion characteristics on DCB angioplasty and on plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA) in patients with femoropopliteal artery disease.Methods: Angiographic data from 355 patients were pooled to assess the impact of patient (demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular co-morbidities, Rutherford stages) and lesion-/procedure-related (location, occlusion, length, restenosis, calcification, subintimal crossing, post-dilatation, dissection, stenting) characteristics on LLL. Linear regression models were utilized with LLL as the dependent variable to determine the predictive value of cardiovascular and lesion-/procedure-related factors.Results: Observational statistics revealed that LLL was lower in the DCB group as compared to POBA independent of all tested patient variables. LLL after DCB was also independent of most lesion and procedural characteristics except for lesion length and bailout stenting. LLL increased with lesion length in both treatment groups. Bailout stenting did not improve LLL in the DCB group but did so in the POBA group (0.74 ± 1.07 mm vs. 1.22 ± 1.36 mm, p = 0.043).Conclusions: DCB was superior to POBA for all tested patient subgroups and lesion subgroups. Our results suggest that all patients and lesions benefit to a similar degree from the use of DCB. DCB-PTA should therefore be preferred to POBA in all patients with steno-occlusive femoropopliteal lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background--Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) have shown promise in improving the outcomes for patients with peripheral artery disease. We compared a paclitaxel-coated balloon with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for the treatment of symptomatic superficial femoral and popliteal artery disease. Methods and Results--The IN.PACT SFA Trial is a prospective, multicenter, single-blinded, randomized trial in which 331 patients with intermittent claudication or ischemic rest pain attributable to superficial femoral and popliteal peripheral artery disease were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to treatment with DCB or PTA. The primary efficacy end point was primary patency, defined as freedom from restenosis or clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 12 months. Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. Mean lesion length and the percentage of total occlusions for the DCB and PTA arms were 8.94±4.89 and 8.81±5.12 cm (P=0.82) and 25.8% and 19.5% (P=0.22), respectively. DCB resulted in higher primary patency versus PTA (82.2% versus 52.4%; P<0.001). The rate of clinically driven target lesion revascularization was 2.4% in the DCB arm in comparison with 20.6% in the PTA arm (P<0.001). There was a low rate of vessel thrombosis in both arms (1.4% after DCB and 3.7% after PTA [P=0.10]). There were no device- or procedure-related deaths and no major amputations. Conclusions--In this prospective, multicenter, randomized trial, DCB was superior to PTA and had a favorable safety profile for the treatment of patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal peripheral artery disease. Clinical Trial Registration--URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifiers: NCT01175850 and NCT01566461. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the performance of drug-coated balloons (DCB) and drug-eluting stents (DES) in long femoropopliteal lesions. Methods: A retrospective dual center study included 228 patients (139 men; median age 69 years) with femoropopliteal lesions ≥10 cm suffering from peripheral artery disease (Rutherford categories 1-5) treated either with DCB or DES. Propensity score stratification was used to minimize bias. The 131 DCB patients (77 men; mean age 68.9±10.5 years) had a mean lesion length of 194.4±86.3 mm (range 100-450), while the 97 DES patients (62 men; mean age 68.2±8.0 years) had lesions averaging 195.0±64.5 mm (range 100-350) in length. Restenotic lesions were treated in 68 (51.9%) DCB patients and 43 (44.3%) DES patients; over half the lesions in both groups were total occlusions [DCB: 69 (52.7%), DES: 61 (62.9%)]. Outcome measures were patency (peak systolic velocity ratio <2.4), clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR), event-free survival, and freedom from worsening of Rutherford classification by ≥2 categories. Results: In the DCB cohort, provisional stent placement was performed in 24 (18.3%) lesions for refractory stenosis (5, 3.8%), flow-limiting dissection (13, 9.9%), and other reasons (6, 4.6%). There was no procedure-related mortality in either cohort. The binary restenosis rates were 23.9% (26/109) and 30.4% (24/79, p=0.319) in the DCB and DES cohorts, respectively, and clinically driven TLR rates were 15.6% (17/109) vs. 19.0% (15/79, p=0.543), respectively. Estimates for freedom from clinically driven TLR and event-free survival were not different between the study cohorts nor were outcomes regarding the ankle-brachial index and Rutherford category. Conclusion: DCB and DES perform equally well in the endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal lesions ≥10 cm and better than traditional endovascular treatment. In a real world setting of TASC C and D lesions, the provisional stent rate in the DCB cohort is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the use of endovascular therapies including stent application is increasingly becoming the treatment of choice for superficial femoral and below-the-knee lesions. Primary stenting of even longer lesions is supported by favorable results of mid- to long-term evaluations. However, issues such as the long-term patency of these devices, optimal design of the stents used, and the role of coating with drugs for infrainguinal disease are under investigation. With more widespread use, problems such as fractures become evident and further developments will have to address these issues. Currently, a number of studies are being conducted, which will help to clarify the role of patient and lesion selection, choice of device, design of the stent and the question of whether or not to use drug-eluting stents for this application. Furthermore, endovascular therapy of below-the-knee lesions is becoming an increasingly interesting area for interventional procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IN.PACT Amphirion drug-coated balloon consisted of a high dose compared to the Lutonix BTK balloon, but compared to the balloons used in the superficial and popliteal arteries, the dose in drug-coated balloons in below-the-knee arteries is very low. If one has to consider the safety of a high-dose paclitaxel therapy in CLI patients, the treatment of the superficial and popliteal arteries with DCBs under such circumstances has to be taken in consideration. References 1 Katsanos K. Risk of death and amputation with use of paclitaxel-coated balloons in the infrapopliteal arteries for treatment of critical limb ischemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal artery disease has shifted toward drug-coated balloons (DCB). However, limited data are available regarding the safety and efficacy of DCB vs bare-metal stents (BMS).Objectives: To compare DCB vs BMS outcomes in a propensity-adjusted, pooled analysis of 4 prospective, multicenter trials.Methods: Patient-level data were pooled from 4 prospective, multicenter studies: the IN.PACT SFA I/II and IN.PACT SFA Japan randomized controlled DCB trials and the Complete SE and DURABILITY II single-arm BMS studies. Outcomes were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Clinical endpoints were 12-month primary patency, freedom from 36-month clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and cumulative 36-month major adverse events (MAE).Results: The primary analysis included 771 patients (288 DCB, 483 BMS). IPTW-adjusted demographic, baseline lesion, and procedural characteristics were matched between groups. The adjusted mean lesion length was 8.1 ± 4.7 cm DCB and 7.9 ± 4.5 cm BMS. The IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier estimates of 12-month primary patency (90.4% DCB, 80.9% BMS, P = 0.007), freedom from 36-month clinically driven target lesion revascularization (85.6% DCB, 73.7% BMS, P = 0.001), and cumulative incidence of 36-month MAE (25.3% DCB, 38.8% BMS, P < 0.001) favored DCB. There were no statistically significant differences observed in all-cause mortality, target limb major amputation, or thrombosis through 36 months.Conclusions: In a patient-level, IPTW-adjusted pooled analysis of prospective, multicenter pivotal studies, DCB demonstrated significantly higher patency, lower revascularization and MAE rates, and no statistically significant differences in mortality, amputation, or thrombosis versus BMS. This analysis supports DCB use vs BMS in moderately complex femoropopliteal lesions amenable to both treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A clear patency benefit of a drug-eluting stent (DES) over bare metal stents (BMSs) for treating peripheral artery disease of the femoropopliteal segment has not been definitively demonstrated. The EMINENT study (Trial Comparing Eluvia Versus Bare Metal Stent in Treatment of Superficial Femoral and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery) was designed to evaluate the patency of the Eluvia DES (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA), a polymer-coated paclitaxel-eluting stent, compared with BMSs for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions.Methods: EMINENT is a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter European study with blinded participants and outcome assessment. Patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (Rutherford category 2, 3, or 4) of the native superficial femoral artery or proximal popliteal artery with stenosis ≥70%, vessel diameter of 4 to 6 mm, and total lesion length of 30 to 210 mm were randomly assigned 2:1 to treatment with DES or BMS. The primary effectiveness outcome was primary patency at 12 months, defined as independent core laboratory-assessed duplex ultrasound peak systolic velocity ratio ≤2.4 in the absence of clinically driven target lesion revascularization or surgical bypass of the target lesion. Primary sustained clinical improvement was a secondary outcome defined as a decrease in Rutherford classification of ≥1 categories compared with baseline without a repeat target lesion revascularization. Health-related quality of life and walking function were assessed.Results: A total of 775 patients were randomly assigned to treatment with DES (n=508) or commercially available BMSs (n=267). Baseline clinical, demographic, and lesion characteristics were similar between the study groups. Mean lesion length was 75.6±50.3 and 72.2±47.0 mm in the DES and BMS groups, respectively. The 12-month incidence of primary patency for DES treatment (83.2% [337 of 405]) was significantly greater than for BMS (74.3% [165 of 222]; P<0.01). Incidence of primary sustained clinical improvement was greater among patients treated with the DES than among those who received a BMS (83.0% versus 76.6%; P=0.045). The health-related quality of life dimensions of mobility and pain/discomfort improved for the majority of patients in both groups (for 66.4% and 53.6% of DES-treated and for 64.2% and 58.1% of BMS-treated patients, respectively) but did not differ significantly. At 12 months, no statistical difference was observed in all-cause mortality between patients treated with the DES or BMS (2.7% [13 of 474] versus 1.1% [3 of 263]; relative risk, 2.4 [95% CI, 0.69-8.36]; P=0.15).Conclusions: By demonstrating superior 1-year primary patency, the results of the EMINENT randomized study support the benefit of using a polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent as a first-line stent-based intervention for patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease attributable to femoropopliteal lesions.Registration: URL: https://www.Clinicaltrials: gov; Unique identifier: NCT02921230. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drug-coated balloons (DCB) are frequently used to treat femoropopliteal artery disease. However, patency loss occurs in ≥10% of patients within 12 months posttreatment with poor understanding of the underlying mechanisms.Objectives: The authors sought to investigate the determinants of DCB failure in femoropopliteal disease.Methods: Data from randomized clinical trials (IN.PACT SFA, MDT-2113 SFA Japan) and 2 prespecified imaging cohorts of the IN.PACT Global Clinical Study were included. Influential procedural characteristics were evaluated by an independent angiographic core laboratory. The primary endpoint was DCB failure (patency loss during follow-up). Additional endpoints were binary restenosis and clinically driven target lesion revascularization. Multivariable analyses evaluated the clinical, anatomical, and procedural predictors of DCB failure.Results: Included were 557 participants with single lesions and 12-month core laboratory-adjudicated duplex ultrasonography. Key clinical characteristics were as follows: mean age 68.8 years, 67.5% male, 87.6% with hypertension, 76.9% with hyperlipidemia, 40.5% with diabetes mellitus, 90.5% in Rutherford Classification Category (RCC) 2 to 3, and 9.5% in RCC 4 to 5. Average length and reference vessel diameter (RVD) were 16.37 cm and 4.66 mm, respectively; 49.7% of lesions were totally occluded. In multivariable analysis, only residual stenosis >30% was associated with patency loss, whereas residual stenosis >30% and smaller preprocedure RVD were associated with increased binary restenosis risk. RCC >3 and residual stenosis >30% were associated with increased 12-month clinically driven target lesion revascularization risk.Conclusions: Patency loss after DCB treatment was influenced by procedural and clinical factors. Residual stenosis >30%, smaller preprocedure RVD, and higher RCC may be considered predictors of increased risk of DCB failure and its components in femoropopliteal artery disease. (Randomized Trial of IN.PACT Admiral® Drug Coated Balloon vs Standard PTA for the Treatment of SFA and Proximal Popliteal Arterial Disease [INPACT SFA I]; NCT01175850; IN.PACT Admiral Drug-Coated Balloon vs. Standard Balloon Angioplasty for the Treatment of Superficial Femoral Artery [SFA] and Proximal Popliteal Artery [PPA] [INPACT SFA II]; NCT01566461; MDT-2113 Drug-Eluting Balloon vs. Standard PTA for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral Artery and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery [MDT-2113 SFA]; NCT01947478; IN.PACT Global Clinical Study; NCT01609296). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]