September 28, 2026
The CIRSE-sponsored RESCUE study – REsorbable SCaffolds with everolimUs-Elution for the treatment of infrapopliteal artery disease in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) – has started enrolling patients.
Patient enrolment has begun for the RESCUE study
RESCUE meeting at the CIRSE 2025 Annual Congress in Barcelona
Study summary
RESCUE is a Europe-wide, prospective, post-market, observational single-cohort study collecting real-world data on the use of the Esprit BTK everolimus-eluting resorbable scaffold following adequate vessel preparation. The study population comprises patients with CLTI and infrapopliteal lesions.
The study’s primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure in preventing the need for clinically driven target lesion revascularisation. The key secondary objectives include evaluating major amputation, overall survival, safety, and health-related quality of life.
RESCUE aims to collect data from 400 participants enrolled over a period of three years. Follow-up data will continue to be collected for an additional three years after recruitment has been completed. Participating sites are being recruited in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Study management
Next Research, CIRSE’s research organisation, serves as the master administrator of RESCUE and is responsible for the study’s day-to-day management. RESCUE is funded by Abbott Vascular International through its Investigator Sponsored Study Program.
Study leadership
The following experts serve as the Co-coordinating Investigators and Co-chairpersons for the Steering Committee:
| Gerd Grözinger | SLK-Kliniken Heilbronn GmbH, Heilbronn, Germany |
| Marianne Brodmann | Medizinische Universität Graz, Graz, Austria |
| Raghuram Lakshminarayan | Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK |
| Stefan Müller-Hülsbeck | Malteser Fördeklinikum St. Katharina, Flensburg, Germany |
Investigator perspective: why RESCUE matters
Marianne Brodmann, RESCUE Coordinating Investigator, shared her thoughts on the importance of the study and its potential contribution to clinical practice:
“Generating robust real-world evidence on everolimus-eluting resorbable scaffolds is particularly important at this stage. RESCUE has been designed with clinically relevant inclusion criteria and pragmatic exclusion criteria, allowing us to evaluate this technology in a representative patient population. The data generated will help us better understand how resorbable scaffolds can be incorporated into daily clinical practice.
This evidence is especially important for patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia, who often experience severe pain and face a significant risk of amputation, with a profound impact on their quality of life. If this treatment can provide more durable patency and sustained clinical efficacy, it may help more patients preserve their limbs. That would represent a meaningful benefit for patients and provide valuable evidence for the medical community.
RESCUE offers a unique opportunity to advance the evidence base for everolimus-eluting resorbable scaffolds and to translate the resulting data into improved treatment decisions in routine practice.”