Background: A novel stent platform eluting biolimus, a sirolimus analogue, from a biodegradable polymer showed promising results in preliminary studies. We compared the safety and efficacy of a biolimus-eluting stent (with biodegradable polymer) with a sirolimus-eluting stent (with durable polymer). Methods: We undertook a multicentre, assessor-blind, non-inferiority study in ten European centres. 1707 patients aged 18 years or older with chronic stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes were centrally randomised by a computer-generated allocation sequence to treatment with either biolimus-eluting (n=857) or sirolimus-eluting (n=850) stents. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or clinically-indicated target vessel revascularisation within 9 months. Analysis was by intention to treat. 427 patients were randomly allocated to angiographic follow-up, with in-stent percentage diameter stenosis as principal outcome measure at 9 months. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00389220. Findings: We analysed all randomised patients. Biolimus-eluting stents were non-inferior to sirolimus-eluting stents for the primary endpoint at 9 months (79 [9%] patients vs 89 [11%], rate ratio 0·88 [95% CI 0·64-1·19], p for non-inferiority=0·003, p for superiority=0·39). Frequency of cardiac death (14 [1·6%] vs 21 [2·5%], p for superiority=0·22), myocardial infarction (49 [5·7%] vs 39 [4·6%], p=0·30), and clinically-indicated target vessel revascularisation (38 [4·4%] vs 47 [5·5%], p=0·29) were similar for both stent types. 168 (79%) patients in the biolimus-eluting group and 167 (78%) in the sirolimus-eluting group had data for angiographic follow-up available. Biolimus-eluting stents were non-inferior to sirolimus-eluting stents in in-stent percentage diameter stenosis (20·9% vs 23·3%, difference -2·2% [95% CI -6·0 to 1·6], p for non-inferiority=0·001, p for superiority=0·26). Interpretation: Our results suggest that a stent eluting biolimus from a biodegradable polymer represents a safe and effective alternative to a stent eluting sirolimus from a durable polymer in patients with chronic stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes. Funding: Biosensors Europe SA, Switzerland.

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doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61244-1, hdl.handle.net/1765/14726
The Lancet
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

Windecker, S., Serruys, P., Wandel, S., Buszman, P., Trznadel, S., Linke, A., … Jüni, P. (2008). Biolimus-eluting stent with biodegradable polymer versus sirolimus-eluting stent with durable polymer for coronary revascularisation (LEADERS): a randomised non-inferiority trial. The Lancet, 372(9644), 1163–1173. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61244-1