Abstract
Drug eluting stents were an important addition to the interventional options available for patients with coronary artery disease, and they effectively reduced the risk of restenosis observed with bare metal stents. However, the drugs and polymers used in the composition of drug eluting stents were found to delay vascular healing and elicit inflammatory responses, which contributed to late and very late stent thrombosis events.
Newer generation drug eluting stents have been engineered with polymers that are more biocompatible and have more favorable drug elution profiles. The Resolute (R) zotarolimus eluting stent (R-ZES) is a new-generation drug eluting stent.
The Global RESOLUTE clinical program was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the R-ZES. The studies conducted under this program have established that the R-ZES safely and effectively treats coronary artery stenosis, with low rates of target lesion failure, target vessel revascularization, and stent thrombosis during extended follow-up.