Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) today issued a statement praising new guidelines for treating valvular heart disease in Europe.
During the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025 in Madrid, ESC and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) unveiled new guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. These establish a simplified care pathway for all severe aortic stenosis (AS) patients, regardless of symptoms.
The guidelines enable a proactive approach to disease management. Edwards said they underscore the need to consider intervention for asymptomatic patients, regardless of heart function. It called this a “meaningful step forward” compared to the previous practice of “watchful waiting.” Guidelines also include the reduction of the transcatheter aortic valve replacement age threshold to 70, reflecting the confidence in TAVR procedures’ safety, efficacy and durability.
Edwards currently offers the only TAVR systems with approved indications in the U.S. and Europe for asymptomatic severe AS.
In addition to the TAVR guidelines, the updates also strengthen recommendations for transcatheter mitral and tricuspid repair and replacement therapies. Abbott also praised these guidelines with regard to their impact on its MitraClip and TriClip systems.
“These are important advancements for structural heart disease patients,” said Bernard Zovighian, CEO. “Consistent with our strategy, the combination of new clinical evidence, indication expansions and guideline changes enable improved clinical outcomes, expanded patient access and overall benefits to the healthcare system.”
At ESC 2025, Edwards also shared new data for its Evoque transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) therapy. Data from the TRISCEND II study showed that, at 18 months, Evoque significantly reduced the hard endpoint of heart failure hospitalizations with the most severe tricuspid regurgitation patients. Findings also showed that, at one year, Evoque delivered superior clinical benefit compared to medical therapy alone and consistent TR elimiantion.
