Conor Presents Positive PISCES Trial Results

Conor Medsystems presented 12-month follow-up data from its PISCES (Paclitaxel In-Stent Controlled Elution Study) clinical trial at the American College of Cardiology scientific session in Orlando, Fla., that supported the long-term safety and efficacy of Conor's novel cardiovascular stent technology.

PISCES, a multicenter study involving 191 patients from 10 sites across seven countries, was designed to compare the safety and performance of paclitaxel delivered at different rates, directions and doses using Conor's stainless steel stent. Each patient participating in the PISCES trial received one of six different formulations of paclitaxel to evaluate unique doses, drug release rates (fast, medium and slow) and directionality (drug release to only the arterial wall versus release to both the wall and the lumen).

At 12-month follow-up, all six formulations were determined to be safe and efficacious. There were no reported cases of delayed stent thrombosis between six months, when patients ceased antiplatelet therapy, and 12-month follow-up. In comparison to the other four formulations, the two groups with slow-release formulations (approximately 30 days based on in vitro measurements) had particularly good outcomes.