Titanium-nitride-oxide-coated Titan-2 bioactive coronary stent: a new horizon for coronary intervention

The introduction of drug-eluting stents has revolutionized the field of interventional cardiology, since it has reduced the incidence of restenosis by 50-70%. However, recent worrisome data from registries and meta-analyses emphasized higher rates of late and very late stent thrombosis associated with drug-eluting stents. The recently introduced titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stent (Titan-2) has demonstrated an excellent biocompatibility, as reflected by lower rates of platelet aggregation and fibrin deposition, and better endothelialization. Preclinical and clinical trials and registries involving both real-life unselected populations and populations with the most challenging patient and lesion characteristics have shown a low rate of major adverse cardiac events in the long-term, with a restenosis rate comparable with that of drug-eluting stents, with the virtual absence of stent thrombosis.