Boston Scientific presents new TAXUS data

US vascular devices maker Boston Scientific has presented the results of an analysis of the HORIZONS AMI trial on the TAXUS Express2 Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System in patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction, at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics symposium in Washington DC.

One-year results from the 3,006-patient, prospective, large, international, randomized clinical trial comparing the Taxus system with a bare-metal stent, showed comparable overall safety outcomes (death, stroke, myocardial infarction or stent thrombosis) between the two treatment groups (8.0% for the bare-metal stent versus 8.1% for the TAXUS stent, p=0.92). There was a statistically-significant 41% reduction in revascularization in the TAXUS group (7.5% for the ordinary stent vs 4.5% for TAXUS, p=0.002). Subjects will be followed for five years to ensure that the results are maintained.