All Drug-Eluting Stents Are the Same, Clinically SpeakingAll Drug-Eluting Stents Are the Same, Clinically Speaking

The Windows on Medical Technology report, "Drug-Eluting Stents for the Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease," includes evaluations of short-, mid-, and long-term complications rates, as well as mortality. The report based it findings on data pooled from 21 randomized controlled trials. The focus was on the two drug-eluting stents that have FDA marketing approval: the Cypher sirolimus-eluting stent from Cordis Corp. (Johson & Johnson) and the Taxus paclitaxel-eluting Boston Scientific Corp.

The report concludes that although the stents are different, those differences are not significant regarding safety and effectiveness in patient outcomes. And both notably outperformed bare-metal stents.

It's kind of like that Coke and Pepsi marketing war. Sure there are people who swear that the two sodas taste completely different, and the companies really want you to believe they are different, But when you think about it, they are pretty much the same thing.