Comparison of everolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffolds with everolimuseluting metallic stents for treatment of coronary artery stenosis: Three-year follow-up of the ABSORB II randomized trial

At the time of the Absorb II study design in July 2011, commercialization of the Absorb scaffold (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA) was just starting, following approval with CE mark in December 2010. At that time, clinical evidence of the everolimus-eluting Absorb scaffold had been attained without the use of a comparator. There was a need to conduct a trial with the metallic comparator that was at that time the best-in-class drug-eluting stent. The aims of the trial were to assess the additional value of the technology in order to generate evidence-based data that would support the introduction of this novel device in clinical practice and to guide interventional cardiologists in its early use.