The American College of Cardiology (ACC) hosted its 64th Annual Scientific Session & Expo over the weekend in San Diego, California. Key data from multiple transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) clinical trials were presented and we believe there was truly no loser between Edwards and Medtronic based on the positive data presented. In addition, St. Jude Medical announced retrospective analysis on CHAMPION data showing significant reduction in mortality rates and heart failure (HF) hospitalizations for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction.

Five-year data suggest that the Sapien transcatheter heart valve (Edwards Lifesciences) is a feasible option for patients with severe aortic stenosis deemed to be at high risk for open-heart surgery, though valve leakage was more common with the first-generation valve evaluated in this study than with surgery, according to research from PARTNER I presented at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) 2015 Annual Scientific Session.

New research from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) finds that percutaneous coronary intervention for heart attacks can still be beneficial for patients who get to their more than 12 hours after their chest pain has started. Timothy Henry, M.D., lead MHIF researcher and director of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, presented the study results at the 2015 American College of Cardiology (ACC) conference in San Diego.

Medtronic plc unveiled the preclinical outcomes of its novel Drug-Filled Stent (DFS) at the 64th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The preclinical data showed controlled and efficacious drug elution into the arterial wall without a polymer carrier, while reducing diameter stenosis and achieving complete stent coverage quickly without inflammation. Based on these results, Medtronic plans to initiate a clinical trial in the coming months.