Two-year Results of a Low-dose Drug-coated Balloon for Revascularization of the Femoropopliteal Artery: Outcomes from the ILLUMENATE First-in-human Study

Objectives: To assess the safety and effectiveness of the Stellarex™ drug-coated angioplasty balloon (DCB) to inhibit restenosis in the superficial femoral and/or popliteal artery.

Background: Treatment of peripheral arterial disease is challenged by restenosis, requiring revascularization procedures to maintain patency. DCBs are designed to deliver an anti-proliferative drug to the vessel wall to diminish smooth muscle cell proliferation and maintain patency.

Methods: This prospective, single-arm, multicenter study enrolled 50 patients with 58 lesions in the first cohort that required pre-dilatation with an uncoated angioplasty balloon prior to inflation of the DCB. The primary effectiveness endpoint was 6-month late lumen loss (LLL). The major secondary endpoint was major adverse event (MAE) rate at 6 months, defined as cardiovascular death, amputation, and/or ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization.

Results: The mean lesion length was 7.2 cm and baseline stenosis was 75.1%. Calcification was present in 62.1% of lesions and 12.1% were occluded. Both endpoints met their prespecified performance goals; at 6 months, the MAE rate was 4% and the mean LLL was 0.54 mm. The primary patency rate was 89.5% at 12 months and 80.3% at 24 months. The freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization rate, per Kaplan-Meier estimate, was 90.0% at 12 months and 85.8% at 24 months. Additionally, there were no amputations or cardiovascular deaths reported through 24 months.

Conclusions: The Stellarex DCB provides safe and durable clinical outcomes for treatment of femoropopliteal artery disease through 24 months.