In response to a recent meta-analysis that linked paclitaxel-coated devices to higher mortality rates in peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients, interventional technology developer Cook Medical said that several new studies confirm the safety record of its Zilver PTX paclitaxel-eluting stents.
In research presented this week at the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC) in Germany, Dr. Michael Dake -- principal investigator for the Zilver PTX randomized controlled trial -- found no increased mortality rates at five years with the use of a Zilver PTX stent versus noncoated stents and balloons. In contrast with the meta-analysis, which didn't include patient-level data, Dake reviewed all patient-level data in the Zilver PTX five-year follow-up of 479 patients, Cook said.
In addition, a recently released five-year postmarket Japanese study showed positive long-term safety and effectiveness outcomes from the use of Zilver PTX stents in real-world patients, according to the firm.
![Representative example of a 16-year-old male patient with underlying X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. (A, B) Paired anteroposterior (AP) chest radiograph and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) report shows lumbar spine (L1 through L4) areal bone mineral density (BMD). The DXA report was reformatted for anonymization and improved readability. The patient had low BMD (Z score ≤ −2.0). (C) Model (chest radiography [CXR]–BMD) output shows the predicted raw BMD and Z score in comparison with the DXA reference standard, together with interpretability analyses using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) and gradient-weighted class activation maps. The patient was classified as having low BMD, consistent with the reference standard. AM = age-matched, DEXA = dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, RM2 = room 2, SNUH = Seoul National University Hospital, YA = young adult.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/04/ai-children-bone-density.0snnf2EJjr.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
