BioFreedom represents the latest development in Biosensors’ stent technology, featuring a micro-structured abluminal surface that permits the controlled release of Biolimus A9 (BA9) without the use of a polymer or other carrier. BA9 is a highly lipophilic anti-restenotic drug developed by Biosensors specifically for use with stents. In its First in Man (“FIM”) study, treatment with BioFreedom demonstrated excellent 12-month late lumen loss and sustained safety up to four years, including absence of definite and/or probable stent thrombosis.
Enrolment is now complete in LEADERS FREE, the world’s first prospective, randomised double-blind trial employing only a one-month course of dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) after implantation of an active stent. The study is focused on patients at high risk of bleeding, and has been designed to confirm that BioFreedom is as safe as a bare-metal stent (BMS) in this patient group, while delivering the anti-restenotic benefit of a drug-eluting stent (DES).