Biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting or durable polymer zotarolimus-eluting stents in high bleeding-risk patients with acute coronary syndrome: the BIOFLOW-DAPT randomized trial

European Heart Journal - Acute CardioVascular Care

5 August 2026
Organised by: Logo
ESC Journals CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROMES, ACUTE CARDIAC CARE Acute Coronary Syndromes Interventional Cardiology

Abstract

AbstractAims

Patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are at high risk of adverse outcomes. We investigated the clinical outcomes and their consistency after biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting (BP-SES) or durable polymer zotarolimus-eluting stent (DP-ZES) implantation in HBR patients with or without ACS.

Methods and results

The per-protocol population of the BIOFLOW-DAPT randomized control trial (RCT) consisted of HBR patients with (n = 541) or without ACS (n = 1245) who were randomized to BP-SES or DP-ZES and underwent 1 month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). The primary efficacy and safety endpoints were target lesion failure (TLF), defined as the composite endpoint of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TV-MI), or clinically driven target lesion revascularization (cd-TLR) as well as major bleeding defined as BARC 3 or 5 (according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium classification) and definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST). At 1 year, patients with ACS suffered from higher cardiac death rates (3.4 vs. 1.3%, log-rank P = 0.004) but similar TLF (6.8 vs. 6.7%, P = 0.992), TV-MI (2.8 vs. 4.5%, P = 0.100), cd-TLR (1.4 vs. 2.1%, P = 0.300), major bleeding (4.2 vs. 3.1%, P = 0.266), and ST (0.2 vs. 0.9%, P = 0.098) compared with no ACS patients. The rate of TLF and of all secondary endpoints was consistent with BP-SES or DP-ZES across ACS strata.

Conclusion

HBR patients with ACS are at higher risk of cardiac death than those without ACS and experience a consistent outcome with BP-SES or DP-ZES followed by 1 month DAPT at 1 year follow-up.

Clinical Trial Registration

NCT04137510.

Contributors

Mohammed Saad
Mohammed Saad

Author

Sana Klinikum Coburg Coburg , Germany

Derk Frank
Derk Frank

Author

University Medical Center of Schleswig-Holstein Kiel , Germany

Marco Valgimigli
Marco Valgimigli

Author

Cardiocentro Ticino Institute Lugano , Switzerland