ABSORB IV trial to test Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold in treatment of Angina-Abbott Vascular
Abbott announced the start of the ABSORB IV clinical trial which will test whether its Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) is more cost-effective and offers a higher quality of life than a best-in-class, permanent, metallic drug eluting stent. Absorb is the world's first drug eluting BVS and functions like a metallic stent by opening up blocked blood vessels in the heart and restoring blood flow. However, unlike a metallic stent, Absorb completely dissolves over time after doing its job. ABSORB IV is designed to enroll approximately 3,000 people with coronary artery disease, mostly in the United States.
Studies have shown that while PCI with metallic stents is highly effective, by reducing angina for 75 percent of treated patients, about 25 percent of people treated still experience angina over the course of the year following PCI. In addition, people with frequent angina typically have a lower quality of life because they are less likely to lead active lifestyles than those without angina. Randomized data recently presented from the ABSORB II clinical trial, conducted primarily in Europe , showed that people treated with Absorb experienced significantly less angina compared to those who received a permanent metallic stent. The ABSORB IV trial is designed to confirm these novel findings that treatment with the Absorb device can help provide people with heart disease a higher quality of life after a heart stent procedure.