REALITY Data Suggest Stents Differ in Clot Formation Rate

Results from the REALITY trial presented at the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session found that Cordis' Cypher Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent was associated with development of significantly fewer blood clots at the stent site (stent thromboses) than the Boston Scientific/Angiotech Taxus Paclitaxel-eluting Coronary Stent.

REALITY demonstrated that both the Cypher stent and Taxus stent were equally deliverable. The study also demonstrated that both products were efficacious, at comparable rates, in preventing in-segment binary restenosis (re-clogging), which was the primary endpoint of the study, in moderately complex patients.

Sponsored by Cordis, a Johnson & Johnson company, the REALITY trial was a prospective, randomized study involving 1,386 patients at 90 hospitals centers in Europe, Latin America and Asia. Patients were included if they had up to two de novo (new) lesions with a primary lesion of at least 15 mm in length in small vessels (2.25 to 3 mm in diameter).