Results from the Danish SORT-OUT II study, the largest randomized trial to date comparing Taxus and Cypher drug-eluting coronary stents, showed no difference in clinical events between patients in the two groups. Presented at the TCT scientific sessions in Washington, D.C., this study focused only on clinically driven MACE.
Supported in part by contributions from Cordis and Boston Scientific, SORT-OUT II was conducted throughout Denmark, where all five Danish university medical centers randomized 2098 patients out of a total of 11,749 undergoing PCI between August 2004 and January 2006, “Heartwire” reported.
In his presentation, Dr Anders M Galløe (Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark) said the randomized cohort is a cross-section of real-world patients from across the whole country. The randomized population included roughly 17 percent STEMI patients, 33 percent unstable-angina/non-STEMI patients, and 44 percent stable-angina patients. Roughly 15 percent of the patients were diabetic.
At nine months, the curves for MACE-free survival for the Cypher and Taxus stents were identical, at approximately 92 percent, Dr. Galløe showed. There were no significant differences for any of the end points alone or in combination.
Complete story is available at www.theheart.org.
July 02, 2024 
