Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute

Overview of past and current studies

Scottsdale Healthcare is an active player in clinical research. We have been involved in many important research studies to bring new technology, medicines and practice changes to our community.

Past landmark studies:

First Drug Eluting Stent – Cypher Stent
Triton TIMI 38 – New antiplatelet drug to compete with clopidogrel (Plavix). The drug is called prasugrel and was just released by the FDA in the U.S.
Horizons AMI – A double-arm study that looked at drug-coated stents and the use of bivalirudin (Angiomax) for patients having heart attacks.
Arrive 2 – This study followed patients who received the Taxus drug- coated stent for two years to study how the stent performed over a long period of time.
Spirit IV trial – Introduced the new Abbott drug coated stent (Xience V ECSS) which is now the most used stent in our hospitals.
Rocket AF – A new blood thinning drug, rivaroxiban, is being tested to replace Coumadin for patients with atrial fibrillation. This drug is one daily dose and will not require frequent blood testing.
Spirit Prime – The redesign of the Abbott Vascular Xience V drug coated stent that offers more stent sizes including longer lengths so two stents do not have to be put together to open a blockage.
Xience DAPT – An FDA-mandated study to look at the necessity of long term use of antiplatelet medication in patients who receive a drug-coated stent.
Tracer study – A new class of drug that is being paired with the current antiplatelet drugs to help prevent additional cardiac events and at the same time decrease the possibility of bleeding complications in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
Poseidon study – A new drug for heart failure patients with kidney problems. This drug will allow patients to take their heart failure medications and at the same time help preserve their kidney function.
Reveal Acute MI study – A study that uses the drug erythropoietin to help minimize heart muscle damage in patients who have a heart attack.
Intensive Acute MI study – Another study to help decrease heart muscle damage for patients having heart attacks. This study uses the drugs insulin, potassium and glucose to help preserve myocardial function.
Color Registry – Supported by the Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation which donated funds to purchase the catheters needed to detect vulnerable plaque. This is a new technology called a Lipiscan that uses NIR infrared technology to detect vulnerable plaque that is not detectible with normal x-ray.
Gravitas study – Uses new technology to detect clopidogrel (Plavix) resistance in patients who have had drug-coated stents placed and will determine if an increased dose of Plavix in the resistant patients works to decrease cardiac events with in the first 6 months after stent placement
Cure AF – A cardiac surgery study for patients with atrial fibrillation who are having open heart surgery. This study uses an ablation tool during surgery to put patients back in sinus rhythm.

We continually add studies to our list. Our investigators seek studies that will bring the latest and best practices to Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute.