STEMI Treated With a Polymer-free Sirolimus-coated Stent and P2Y12 Inhibitor-based SAPT Versus Conventional DAPT

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred revascularization strategy for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Compared with bare-metal stents (BMS) and early-generation thick-strut polymer-based drug-eluting stents (DES), newer-generation DES with thinner strut stent platforms and durable or biodegradable polymers have been shown to improve long-term safety and efficacy outcomes among patients with STEMI. Accordingly, the use of newer-generation DES over BMS is currently recommended by the most recent guidelines. Vessel healing at the culprit site after DES implantation is however substantially delayed in patients with acute STEMI as compared to those with chronic coronary syndromes and is associated with a long-term risk for recurrent stent-related adverse clinical outcomes. These findings highlight the need for future iterations in modern DES technology to further improve clinical outcomes following PCI in this highest-risk patient subset. Current guidelines recommend dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) consisting of aspirin and a potent P2Y12 receptor inhibitor for 12 months after primary PCI for STEMI, unless there are contraindications such as excessive risk of bleeding. A recent meta-analysis of five large-scale randomized clinical trials including a total of 32'145 patients, of whom 4,070 (12.7%) patients were treated for STEMI, indicated that 1-3 months of DAPT followed by P2Y12 inhibitor-based single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) after second-generation DES implantation in patients with chronic and acute coronary syndromes was associated with lower risk for major bleeding and similar risk for stent thrombosis, all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke compared with conventional DAPT. These findings suggest that a potent P2Y12 inhibitor-based SAPT following a short DAPT course (1-3 months) may represent a preferable treatment option, which is associated with similar ischemic, but lower bleeding risk, for patients undergoing PCI with newer-generation DES compared to standard conventional 12 months DAPT. The question of whether SAPT using a potent oral P2Y12 inhibitor (ticagrelor or prasugrel) without aspirin (aspirin-free strategy) after primary PCI with a newest-generation thin-strut polymer-free drug-eluting stent is safe and effective compared to a conventional guideline-recommended 6- to 12-month DAPT course among patients with STEMI remains uncertain.