The REALITY Study - Head-to-Head Comparison Between Cypher and Taxus

This is a prospective, randomized study conducted at 90 centers in Europe, Latin-America and Asia. A total of 1335 patients will be entered into the study and will be randomized on a 1:1 basis to either the sirolimus-eluting or the paclitaxel-eluting stent system. All patients will have repeat angiography at eight months and will be followed for 24 months post-procedure.

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of angina pectoris as defined by Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification (CCS I, II, III, IV) OR unstable angina pectoris (Braunwald Classification B&C, I-II-III) OR patients with documented silent ischemia;
• Treatment of up to two de novo native coronary artery lesions in a maximum of two major coronary arteries;
• Ostial lesions;
• Bifurcations;
• Target vessel diameter of both lesions must be >=2.25mm and <=3.0mm in diameter (visual estimate);
• One target lesion must be at least 15 mm in length and the second lesion has to be at least 10 mm in length with no upper limit on either;
• Target lesion stenosis for both lesions is >50% and <100% (visual estimate).

Exclusion criteria

• Patient has experienced a Q-wave or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction with documented total CK >2 times normal within the preceding 72 hours and the CK and CK-MB enzymes remain above normal at the time of treatment;
• Has unstable angina classified as Braunwald A I-II-III;
• Any of the lesions is an unprotected left main coronary disease with >=50% stenosis;
• Angiographic evidence of thrombus within target lesion;
• Heavily calcified lesion and/or calcified lesion, which cannot be successfully predilated (applies to both lesions);
• Documented left ventricular ejection fraction <=25%;

• Totally occluded vessel (TIMI 0 level) (applies to both lesions);

• Prior stent within 10mm of target lesion (applies to both lesions).