German Patient Data Shows No Paclitaxel Mortality Risk

A review of German insurance data found no additional risk of death in patients treated with drug-coated balloons and stents, even in patients who had the devices for more than a decade. The data appears to further challenge a bombshell meta-analysis that claimed paclitaxel could increase death rates by up to 90%.

Angioplasty with stent placement- 3D rendering - Illustration — • Source: Shutterstock

A review of German insurance data found no long-term increase in death risks tied to treatment with paclitaxel-coated devices, raising further questions about a meta-analysis that sent shockwaves through the industry late last year.

In the latest study, a team led by University Hospital Muenster, Germany, senior physician Eva Freisinger examined more than a...