Data published online in circulation from the Spirit-III US pivotal trial evaluating the Xience V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System demonstrated that Abbott's market-leading Xience V outperforms the Taxus Express Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System (TAXUS) in reducing major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at two years. In the Spirit-III trial of 1,002 patients, Xience V demonstrated a 45 per cent reduction in the risk of MACE, and a 40 per cent reduction in the risk of cardiac death or heart attack (myocardial infarction, or MI) at two years in patients treated with Xience V compared to those treated with TAXUS.

Additionally, during the two years the study demonstrated a 32 per cent reduction in the risk of target vessel failure (TVF, cardiac events related to the treated vessel) for Xience V compared to TAXUS. These published results were first presented in May 2008 at the EuroPCR Congress in Barcelona.

"As published in circulation, the Spirit-III study results demonstrate that the clinical benefits of Xience V continue to improve between one and two years of follow-up after stent implantation compared to TAXUS," said Gregg W Stone, Columbia University Medical Center; chairman, Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York; and principal investigator of the Spirit-III trial. "These data reinforce our earlier findings demonstrating the excellent angiographic and clinical results with the Xience V stent, resulting in fewer heart attacks and repeat reinterventions."

Xience V is used to treat coronary artery disease by propping open a narrowed or blocked artery and releasing the drug, everolimus, in a controlled manner to prevent the artery from becoming blocked again following a stent procedure.