Biolimus- versus sirolimus-eluting stents in percutaneous coronary intervention: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Suruagy-Motta Ricardo F O RFO, Dexheimer da Silva Leonardo L, Rezende Neves Gabriel G, Farias Carlos Alexandre CA et al.
Sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) are a benchmark in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), while biolimus-eluting stents (BES), which combine a more lipophilic analogue with a biodegradable polymer, may enhance healing and reduce thrombosis. Whether these BES features translate into improved survival and cardiac outcomes compared with SES remains uncertain. We sought to perform a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials evaluating BES compared with SES in adult patients undergoing PCI. This meta-analysis encompassed randomised and controlled clinical trials that directly compared BES with SES in the setting of percutaneous coronary intervention. A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to June 2025. The main outcomes assessed were all-cause and cardiac mortality, while secondary endpoints included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularisation (TLR), and stent thrombosis (ST). Outcomes were evaluated at <=1 year (early) and >1-5 years (midterm) using pooled risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in random-effects models, with heterogeneity assessed by the I2 test. Six trials (12,109 patients: 6,088 BES, 6,021 SES) were analysed. BES reduced 1-year cardiac death by 30% (RR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.52-0.93) and showed a non-significant 19% reduction in all-cause death (RR 0.81; p=0.058). MACE, myocardial infarction, and TLR were similar between stents across timepoints. BES showed a non-significant early increase in ST (RR 1.85; p=0.12) but a 46% reduction in late ST (RR 0.54, 95% CI: 0.33-0.88). Mortality rates converged after 1 year. BES offer a short-term reduction in cardiac mortality and late stent thrombosis compared with SES, with otherwise similar morbidity outcomes. These results support the short-term safety of BES and indicate a possible long-term thrombotic and cardiac survival benefit, warranting confirmation in longer-term trials.