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FFR Versus IVUS With Angiography-Derived FFR for Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Comparison of Fractional Flow Reserve-Guided Strategy Versus Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Stent Implantation After Angiography-Derived Fractional Flow Reserve-based Decision-Making (The FLAVOUR III Trial)

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06218485
Acronym
FLAVOUR III
Enrollment
1942
Registered
2024-01-23
Start date
2024-03-13
Completion date
2031-09-01
Last updated
2026-08-27

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Coronary Artery Disease

Keywords

Angiography-derived fractional flow reserve, Intravascular ultrasound, Fractional flow reserve, Percutaneous coronary intervention

Brief summary

To compare the clinical outcomes of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided strategy versus intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided stent implantation after angiography-derived FFR-based decision-making.

Detailed description

1. Hypothesis: The IVUS-guided stent implantation after angiography-derived FFR-based decision-making will show superiority in terms of a lower rate of patients-oriented composite outcomes (POCO) at 24 months after randomization compared with the FFR-guided PCI strategy in patients with coronary stenosis. 2. Research materials and indication for revascularization: 2.1 Experimental group: PCI will be performed if angiography-derived FFR ≤0.80 and will be deferred if angiography-derived FFR \>0.80; If PCI is performed, PCI optimization using IVUS will be performed following the recommended criteria: ① Plaque burden at stent edge ≤55%; ② Minimal stent area ≥ 5.5 mm2, or minimal stent area ≥ distal reference lumen area. 2.2 Control group: PCI will be performed if FFR ≤0.80 and will be deferred if FFR \>0.80; If PCI is performed, PCI optimization using FFR will be performed following the recommended criteria: ① Post-PCI FFR ≥ 0.88, or ② Post-PCI ΔFFR (\[FFR at stent distal edge\] - \[FFR at stent proximal edge\]) \< 0.05. 3. Sample size: In the post-hoc analysis of the FLAVOUR I study applying QFR analysis, the 2-year POCO rate was 13.0% in the PCI group with FFR ≤0.80 and undergoing FFR-based PCI optimization and 7.1% in the PCI group with QFR ≤0.80 and undergoing IVUS-based PCI optimization. Meanwhile, the 2-year POCO rate was 5.8% and 6.5% in the deferral of PCI group with FFR \>0.80 and QFR \>0.80, respectively. Assuming a PCI rate of 70% in patients with coronary artery lesions with 50-90% stenosis that is the inclusion criteria for the current study, and considering event rates from historical studies evaluating FFR- and QFR-guided PCI strategies, the cumulative incidence rate of POCO at 24 months was estimated to be 13.0% in the control group (FFR group) and 9.0% in the experimental group (QFR-IVUS group). * Primary endpoint: POCO, defined as a composite of death from any cause, MI, or any revascularization at 24 months after randomization. * Design: superiority * Sampling ratio: experimental group : control group = 1:1 * Type I error (α): One-sided 2.5% * Accrual time: 24 months * Total time: 4 years (accrual 24 months + follow-up 24 months) * Assumption: POCO 13.0% vs. 9.0% in control or experimental group, respectively * Statistical power (1- β): 90% * Primary statistical method: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test * Estimated attrition rate: total 10% * Stratification in randomization: Presence of diabetes mellitus Based on the above assumption, we would need total 1,942 patients (971 patients in each group) with consideration of an attrition rate.

Interventions

PROCEDUREIntravascular ultrasound-guided stent implantation after angiography-derived FFR-based decision-making

The percutaneous coronary intervention will be performed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided strategy after angiography-derived FFR-based decision-making: 1. PCI will be performed if angiography-derived FFR ≤0.80 and will be deferred if angiography-derived FFR \>0.80. 2. If PCI is performed, PCI optimization using IVUS will be performed following the recommended criteria: ① Plaque burden at stent edge ≤55%; ② Minimal stent area ≥ 5.5 mm2, or minimal stent area ≥ distal reference lumen area

PROCEDUREFractional flow reserve-guided PCI strategy

The percutaneous coronary intervention will be performed by fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided strategy: 1. PCI will be performed if FFR ≤0.80 and will be deferred if FFR \>0.80. 2. If PCI is performed, PCI optimization using FFR will be performed following the recommended criteria: ① Post-PCI FFR ≥ 0.88, or ② Post-PCI ΔFFR (\[FFR at stent distal edge\] - \[FFR at stent proximal edge\]) \< 0.05

Sponsors

Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER
Seoul National University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Peking University Third Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College
CollaboratorOTHER
The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University
CollaboratorOTHER
The Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Jinhua Central Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University
CollaboratorOTHER
Changxing People's Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University
CollaboratorOTHER
The Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Ningbo University
CollaboratorOTHER
Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center
CollaboratorOTHER
Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Ulsan University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Chonnam National University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Jining First People's Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Huzhou Central Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Zhejiang Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
First People's Hospital of Hangzhou
CollaboratorOTHER
Wuhan Aisa Heart Hospital
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
The Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Ganzhou People's Hospital, Jiangxi Province
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University
CollaboratorOTHER
Xiangya Hospital of Central South University
CollaboratorOTHER
Shanxi Cardiovascular Hosipital
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University
CollaboratorOTHER
Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University
CollaboratorOTHER
Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Parallel Assignment

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
19 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Subject must be ≥ 19 years. * Subject is able to verbally confirm understanding of risks, benefits and treatment alternatives of receiving invasive physiologic or imaging evaluation and PCI with a drug-eluting stent (DES) and he/she or his/her legally authorized representative provides written informed consent. * Subjects suspected with ischemic heart disease. * Subjects with coronary artery diameter stenosis 50-90% by angiography-based visual estimation eligible for stent implantation. * Target vessel size ≥ 2.5mm in visual estimation.

Exclusion criteria

* Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to any of the following medications: Heparin, Aspirin, Clopidogrel, Prasugrel, Ticagrelor * Active pathologic bleeding. * Gastrointestinal or genitourinary major bleeding within the prior 3 months. * History of bleeding diathesis, known coagulopathy. * Non-cardiac co-morbid conditions with life expectancy \< 2 years. * Target lesion located in coronary arterial bypass graft. * Left main coronary artery stenosis ≥ 50%. * Chronic total occlusion in the study target vessel. * Culprit lesion of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). * Not eligible for angiography-derived FFR (ostial RCA ≥ 50% stenosis, severe tortuosity, severe overlap, poor image quality).

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Patient-oriented composite outcome24 monthsPatient-oriented composite outcome (POCO), defined as a composite of all death, myocardial infarction (MI), or any revascularization at 24 months after randomization.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Patient-oriented composite outcome at 60 months60 monthsPatient-oriented composite outcome (POCO), defined as a composite of all death, myocardial infarction (MI), or any revascularization.
Individual component of Patient-oriented composite outcome24 and 60 monthsIndividual component of Patient-oriented composite outcome (death, myocardial infarction, revascularization).
Target vessel failure24 and 60 monthsTarget vessel failure, defined as a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel MI, or target vessel revascularization.
All-cause and cardiac death24 and 60 monthsAll-cause and cardiac death.
Any nonfatal myocardial infarction without peri-procedural myocardial infarction24 and 60 monthsAny nonfatal myocardial infarction without peri-procedural myocardial infarction.
Any nonfatal myocardial infarction with peri-procedural myocardial infarction24 and 60 monthsAny nonfatal myocardial infarction with peri-procedural myocardial infarction.
Any target vessel/lesion revascularization24 and 60 monthsAny target vessel/lesion revascularization.
Any non-target vessel/lesion revascularization24 and 60 monthsAny non-target vessel/lesion revascularization.
Any revascularization (ischemia-driven or all)24 and 60 monthsAny revascularization (ischemia-driven or all).
Stent thrombosis (definite/probable/possible)24 and 60 monthsStent thrombosis at 24 and 60 months after randomization.
Stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic)24 and 60 monthsStroke at 24 and 60 months after randomization.

Countries

China, South Korea

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJian'an Wang, MD, PhD

Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBon-Kwon Koo, MD, PhD

Seoul National University Hospital

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 28, 2026