Edwards Isn’t Sweating the SMART Results

The company addressed results from a clinical trial that pitted Medtronic’s Evolut platform against the Sapien valve.

Omar Ford

April 26, 2024

2 Min Read
Image Courtesy of Edwards Lifesciences

At a Glance

  • Edwards executives seem unbothered by the SMART results.
  • Results from SMART show Medtronic's Evolut Platform surpassed the Edwards Sapien valve in terms of performance.
  • Edwards posted earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations.

Results from the SMART study rocked the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) landscape earlier this month. The trial caused controversy because it demonstrated that Medtronic’s Evolut Platform outperformed Edwards Sapien valve.

Results from the trial were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific session.

More specifically, one-year results of the SMART trial with small aortic annuli (SAA) demonstrated non-inferior clinical outcomes and superior valve performance as measured by bioprosthetic valve dysfunction performance for the Evolut TAVR platform compared to the SAPIEN platform.

During a recent earnings call, Edwards executives discussed what the trial could mean for the company going forward. Larry Wood, Group President of TAVR and Structural Heart for Edwards spoke about the trial noting that the results did not diminish what the company was doing or had done in TAVR.

“I think it's just a reminder, and we've talked about this before, but the decision on what valve to use is multifactorial,” Wood said according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. “It's never been about one criterion. It's never been about one data point. And so, we continue to have confidence in our platform and the value proposition, and with our Ultra RESILIA technology and all the other things that we're doing that we always model in competition, but we feel very good about our platform and our leadership.”

Bernard Zovighian, Edwards’ CEO also highlighted the company's success as a defense against the results.

“In the last 10 years, we signed 12,000 symptomatic severe aortic patients across mainly FDA-approved studies, Zovighian said according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. “And today, again, we are the only company conducting groundbreaking research into the treatment of AS through early TAVR in progress."

Edwards posted 1Q24 results that exceeded Wall Street expectations. The company increased its revenue guidance. The sales result came in near the top end of the $1.53 billion-$1.61 billion guidance range and at the high end of the $0.62-$0.66 adj. EPS range. 

Marie Thibault, an analyst with BTIG wrote, “We see much to look forward to, including the ongoing Evoque launch and new clinical trial data later this year that may open up the asymptomatic AS market.”

About the Author

Omar Ford

Omar Ford is a veteran reporter in the field of medical technology and healthcare journalism. As Editor-in-Chief of MD+DI (Medical Device and Diagnostics Industry), a leading publication in the industry, Ford has established himself as an authoritative voice and a trusted source of information.

Ford, who has a bachelor's degree in print journalism from the University of South Carolina, has dedicated his career to reporting on the latest advancements and trends in the medical device and diagnostic sector.

During his tenure at MD+DI, Ford has covered a wide range of topics, including emerging medical technologies, regulatory developments, market trends, and the rise of artificial intelligence. He has interviewed influential leaders and key opinion leaders in the field, providing readers with valuable perspectives and expert analysis.

 

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