Investigators on the PAD-PACE trial have shared encouraging interim results at the 12-month mark, reporting improved femoropopliteal patency among patients treated with paclitaxel drug-coated balloon angioplasty compared with plain balloon angioplasty.
The trial, led from University College London and now nearing its 320-patient target, is enrolling patients with critical limb ischaemia — a severe form of peripheral arterial disease that carries a high risk of amputation. Early signals suggest the drug-coated approach may reduce the need for repeat procedures, although the team stressed that these are interim figures and that longer-term safety and amputation-free survival data are still being collected.
"We are cautiously optimistic, but it is essential we see the full follow-up before drawing firm conclusions," the lead investigator said. "Critical limb ischaemia is a devastating condition, and patients deserve robust evidence rather than early enthusiasm." Final results are expected once all participants have completed two years of follow-up.