Edwards Lifesciences Corp., of Irvine, Calif., reported positive quarterly results Jan. 30, and it was particularly bolstered by strength with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). CEO Mike Mussallem called out the fourth quarter underlying sales growth of 19%, giving much credit to TAVR.
BEIJING – While acknowledging that China still needs to play catch up in med-tech innovation, Chinese cardiovascular experts are striving to make breakthroughs in bioabsorable stents and transcatheter heart valves with government-backed research projects underway.
Edwards Lifesciences Corp. has been unstoppable so far this year, driven by the rapidly expanding adoption of transcatheter heart valve therapy. It beat expectations in its third-quarter earnings report, drawing praise and even higher expectations from Wall Street analysts. The Irvine, Calif.-based company recently received an expanded FDA indication for its Sapien 3 and Sapien 3 Ultra TAVR systems to treat surgical low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. (See BioWorld MedTech, Aug. 19, 2019.)
A relief rebound drove Boston Scientific Corp. up 6% on positive third-quarter earnings news. But that wasn't enough to recover all the ground that shares (NYSE:BSX) of the Marlborough, Mass.-based medical device giant lost last month on the disappointing next-generation transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) study results presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference held last month in San Francisco.
TORONTO – Several U.S. and Canadian patients have recently undergone successful mitral valve surgery featuring a platform designed by Toronto-based Baylis Medical Inc. to provide more precise access to the wall separating the left and right sides of the heart. Robert Harrison, Baylis's director of research and development for cardiology, said in addition to locating the precise puncture point for mitral valve reconstruction, the Versacross transseptal solution has reduced the number of devices exchanged during the procedure to an all-in-one platform.