Dave Fornell, DAIC Editor

Dave Fornell, Editor DAIC

Blog | Dave Fornell, DAIC Editor | January 21, 2015

Key Late-breaking Trials to Watch at ACC.15

The America College of Cardiology has released its list of key late-breaking clinical trials at the ACC 2015 meeting in March. Here are my top picks for cardiovascular device technology I am looking forward to hearing data on: 

1. Perhaps the key trial at ACC will be data from the large BEST study, which compares the Xience V drug-eluting stent (DES) to coronary bypass grft (CABG) surgery in patients with multivessel disease. It is a follow up to the SYNTAX trial, which fell short in showing the Taxus DES (at the time the top-performing stent) had long-term durability compared to CABG. However, Abbott's Xience second-generation DES beat out Taxus in the SPRIRT IV trial a couple years ago. Intervascular imaging and FFR today also see more expanded use, which combined with an improved stent platform, is expected to tip the scale in favor of stenting. 

2. More data will be presented, likely further supporting the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This includes long-term outcomes from the Edwards Sapien and Medtronic Corevalve trials, and first experience with use of a TAVR embolic protection system. The most important of the trial presentations might be data from an all-comers trial of TAVR verses surgery. This data could help open the flood gates for TAVR as a standard therapy to replace open heart procedures.
 
3. Use of CT angiography to evaluate patients presenting with chest pain to reduce costs. There a a few CTA trials being presented, which I suspect will add more evidence that CTA can be used as a primary rule-out test to help eliminate series blood testing, nuclear scans, stress tests and diagnostic angiograms.
 
4. Denervation to treat pulmonary hypertension. Renal denervation trials have had very mixed results, but experts still say the denervation may hold promise for other therapeutic areas such as this one.
 
5. Initial experience and outcomes with the MitraClip mital valve leaflet repair system. I believe this is just the beginning of a whole new segment of interventional mitral valve repair therapies that will eventually replace open heart mitral procedures.
 
6. There are two trials comparing transradial access, which is a growing trend in the United States to help lower access site complications. One will compare transradial to transfemoral access sites, and another radial verses ulnar access. 
 
See the complete list of late breaking trials, presentation locations and times. 

Below is a preview of some technologies being shown on the expo floor.

 

Related Content

News | Heart Failure

May 25, 2023 — New data presented from an investigator-sponsored European trial found managing indicated1 heart failure ...

Home May 26, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

May 23, 2023 — Sacubitril/valsartan leads to greater reduction in plasma NT-proBNP levels compared to valsartan alone ...

Home May 23, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

May 23, 2023 — The diagnosis of heart failure is usually missed, denying patients treatments that could improve ...

Home May 23, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

May 23, 2023 — The first investigator-initiated study of remote pulmonary artery pressure monitoring has found that it ...

Home May 23, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

April 25, 2023 — Windtree Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on advancing late-stage interventions for ...

Home April 25, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

April 21, 2023 — A recent study using mice has revealed a way to turn back the clock after heart attack. The researchers ...

Home April 21, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

April 21, 2023 — Black adults with heart failure (HF) are more likely to die than white adults with the same condition ...

Home April 21, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

April 20, 2023 — The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has recognized seven Hackensack Meridian Health medical ...

Home April 20, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

April 14, 2023 — Deaths from cardiovascular disease are elevated on polluted days and for two days afterwards, according ...

Home April 14, 2023
Home
News | Heart Failure

April 11, 2023 — Daxor Corporation, a global leader in blood volume measurement technology, announced five new hospitals ...

Home April 11, 2023
Home
Subscribe Now