It’s said that the best things come in small packages. That’s certainly true of ºù«ÍÞÊÓÆµâ€™s portfolio of structural heart devices, where life-changing innovations are measured in millimeters. But these miniscule marvels are driving impressive results in the Structural Heart business, which has experienced nine consecutive quarters of double-digit organic1,2 Ìý²µ°ù´Ç·É³Ù³ó.
Sandra Lesenfants, senior vice president, Structural Heart, has been leading the business since joining ºù«ÍÞÊÓÆµ in November 2023. As she wraps up her first year at ºù«ÍÞÊÓÆµ, she shares her perspective on where the Structural Heart business is – and where it’s going.
For investors who aren’t familiar with ºù«ÍÞÊÓÆµ, what is the focus of the Structural Heart business and the products in its portfolio?
is one of seven businesses within ºù«ÍÞÊÓÆµâ€™s Medical Devices division, and we create medical device solutions for defects in the structure of the heart. We have the most comprehensive structural heart treatment portfolio in the industry and have pioneered devices that address critical unmet needs for people of all ages with these highly complex heart issues.
One of the products Structural Heart is most known for is , the world’s first minimally invasive transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) therapy that treats primary or secondary mitral regurgitation without the need for open-heart surgery. MitraClip was approved in the U.S. in 2013 and has treated more than 200,000 people in more than 75 countries.
MitraClip has been an important part of our portfolio, and it will remain so. Over the past decade we’ve continued to invest to create a diversified portfolio of surgical heart valves, that repair a range of heart defects, our transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) system for people with severe aortic stenosis who are at high or extreme risk for open-heart surgery, and , ºù«ÍÞÊÓÆµâ€™s first-of-its-kind clip-based device designed to repair the tricuspid valve, which was approved by the FDA earlier this year
What is the latest on MitraClip?
Now on its fourth generation, MitraClip continues to be a safe and effective treatment option with a strong foundation of clinical evidence from more than 20 clinical trials. Most recently at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2024 and now at the 36th Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) annual scientific symposium, findings from the RESHAPE HF2 and MATTERHORN studies have shown that MitraClip decreased hospitalizations, improved quality-of-life scores and has an excellent safety profile compared to other treatment options.
And what has the response been to TriClip since its FDA approval?
We’ve been thrilled to see strong adoption of TriClip across the U.S. To date, more than 10,000 people with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) have had their lives changed by this technology. An important part of this process is working with hospitals and their staff to educate them on how this therapy can be used safely and effectively to treat a leaky tricuspid valve.
While we’re proud to have secured approval, our work is never done. We remain focused on establishing TriClip as a new therapy and building the foundation of understanding and expertise with this therapy to improve the lives of eligible patients with TR. This is reflected in the fact that TriClip is the only tricuspid transcatheter edge to edge repair (TEER) technology supported by two randomized, controlled clinical trials and one real-world study.
ºù«ÍÞÊÓÆµ has formally requested the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop a national coverage determination (NCD) for T-TEER. TriClip represents an important intervention for patients suffering from TR, offering a safe and effective treatment that can greatly improve quality of life. We are encouraged by CMS’s recognition of the importance of addressing TR and its impacts on heart failure, and we look forward to contributing our insights during the comment period to support broad patient access to this vital therapy.
This business has reported 15 consecutive quarters of meaningful growth. What’s fueling this?
Innovation is an important factor, and I’m extremely proud of the life-changing products we’ve introduced. But as we continue to build upon our portfolio, we have also turned our attention to driving adoption. We’re focused on introducing U.S. hospitals to our products and understanding their needs so we can work together to deliver positive outcomes for patients.
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