Discussion panelist Julinda Mehilli, MD, inquired how this new stent, which has been approved for the European market, will fit into everyday clinical practice.
“We have many biodegradable polymer DES already. We have the Ultimaster, we have Synergy – and now, the Firehawk. What kind of special features does it have? Is it for use in routine practice or in special populations?” asked Dr. Mehilli, director of interventional cardiology at the German Heart Center at the University of Munich.
“That’s of course the question: What’s the unique point of this stent? I think that the unique point is that there is really no unique point. This is a classic workhorse stent. This is a stent with good radial force and all the other features for everyday use,” according to Dr. Baumbach.
Indeed, he and his Barts colleagues did more than 100 cases in TARGET All Comers and found one of the Firehawk’s strengths was its versatility. It performed well in challenging cases, including left main interventions, as well as in more straightforward cases in this all comers trial.
The Firehawk was developed by MicroPort in China, where its safety and efficacy was established in clinical trials totaling more than 1,000 patients. It then moved to Europe, where it has earned regulatory approval. A pivotal U.S. trial is being planned with the Food and Drug Administration, which has indicated that the European TARGET All Comers data can be incorporated in the study.
Dr. Baumbach reported receiving research grants from Abbott and consultation fees from Keystone Heart, MicroPort, Sinomed, and Stentys.