Comparing drug eluting balloons and stents for treating calcified nodules in coronary arteries

DEBSCAN-IVL. Drug Eluting Balloon or Drug Eluting Stent to Treat CAlcified Nodules After IntraVascular Lithotripsy.

Not applicable Interventional Fundación EPIC · NCT06657833

This study is testing whether drug eluting balloons can work as well as drug eluting stents for treating calcified nodules in the coronary arteries of patients with heart conditions.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment128 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorFundación EPIC Academic / other
Locations12 sites (Barcelona and 11 other locations)
Trial IDNCT06657833 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This international, multicenter trial investigates the effectiveness of drug eluting balloons (DEB) versus drug eluting stents (DES) in patients with calcified nodules in coronary arteries. Patients with stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes will be randomized to receive either DEB or DES after undergoing intravascular lithotripsy to modify the calcified plaque. The study aims to determine if DEB can provide similar or better outcomes in terms of lumen loss and gain compared to DES at a 6-month follow-up. The trial is designed to address the lack of data on the safety and efficacy of DEB in this specific patient population.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults over 18 with stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes and severe calcified lesions suitable for percutaneous coronary intervention.

Not a fit: Patients with life expectancy less than one year, those with left main stem lesions, or those previously treated with stents or DEB may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could offer a less invasive treatment option for patients with calcified coronary lesions, potentially improving their outcomes.

How similar studies have performed: While there is some observational data on DEB performance in calcified lesions, this approach is relatively novel and lacks extensive prior testing.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must meet all inclusion criteria:

* Patients \>18 years admitted for stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes and indication for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and
* Severe coronary lesion with calcified nodule, confirmed with intracoronary imaging (optical coherence tomography or intravascular ultrasound) and;
* Lesion to treat in a vessel between 2.5 and 4 mm.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients must not meet any criteria

* Inability to provide oral and written informed consent or unwillingness to come back for systematic angiographic follow-up.
* Pregnant or breastfeeding patients.
* Cardiogenic Shock or Cardiac arrest at the moment of the index procedure.
* Impossibility to maintain double antiplatelet treatment during at least 1 month.
* Life expectancy \<1 year.
* Index lesion at left main stem.
* Aorto-ostial lesion.
* Target lesion previously treated with stents or DEB.
* High thrombus burden in the target lesion (TIMI thrombus scale≥3).

Where this trial is running

Barcelona and 11 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Coronary Artery DiseaseCalcified NodulesCalcified lesionsDrug eluting balloonDrug eluting stent
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.