At the recent European Society of Cardiology meeting, Anacardio AB and Helsinn Healthcare SA presented data on their oral small-molecule ghrelin receptor agonist and first-in-class calcium sensitizing inotrope, AC-01, in preclinical models of heart failure.

Factor XIa inhibitors milvexian and asundexian, hailed as the next-generation class of anticoagulants, earned mixed reviews on phase II data presented during the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2022. However, developers Bristol Myers Squibb Co./Janssen Pharmaceutical Co. and Bayer AG, respectively, are moving into late-stage testing, citing clear mechanisms of action that put the FXIa drugs at least on par with approved factor Xa drugs in terms of efficacy while offering potentially better safety profiles that could give physicians an option for patients with stroke or atrial fibrillation who are currently undertreated with anticoagulants due to bleeding risks.

Endotronix Inc. reported positive data from the SIRONA 2 clinical trial evaluating safety and efficacy of its Cordella pulmonary artery pressure sensor system in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III heart failure (HF) patients. 

The race is on. After six years as the only FDA approved devices for left atrial appendage closure, Boston Scientific Corp.’s Watchman products face a challenger, Abbott Laboratories’ Amplatzer Amulet. With the Amulet’s FDA approval in mid-August and positive results in a head-to-head trial presented at the 2021 European Society of Cardiology Congress on Tuesday, the Watchman has reason to look over its shoulder at a competitor that could change the game entirely. The trial results were published simultaneously in Circulation.

Cryoablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is not the standard of care, but a recent study may change at least some clinicians’ thinking on that score.