On Monday, Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW), a prominent player in the medical technology industry, saw its share price target increased from $93.00 to $100.00 by Oppenheimer, while the firm maintained its Outperform rating on the stock. The revision reflects the analyst's view on the potential of transcatheter tricuspid valve therapies, a growing area of focus within cardiac treatments.
The analyst from Oppenheimer provided insights into the ongoing discussions in the medical community about the effectiveness of transcatheter tricuspid valve therapies, particularly in terms of quality of life and mortality rates. The firm believes that right ventricular (RV) function over the long term might emerge as a more reliable indicator for determining the appropriate treatment approach—either repair or replacement—for a broad group of patients.
Although the analyst acknowledged the current limitations in fully assessing the transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) and transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) approaches due to incomplete metrics, they drew attention to the available data on tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) from the TRILUMINATE and TRISCEND-II trials. TAPSE is used to measure RV function, but its role as a prognosticator for RV dysfunction is still a subject of debate within the medical community.
The analyst expressed optimism about gaining deeper insights into RV function and the comparative effectiveness of TEER versus TTVR approaches. These insights are expected to be further discussed at the upcoming Structural Heart Key Opinion Leader (KOL) dinner event hosted by Oppenheimer. This event will provide an opportunity for experts to share knowledge and discuss the latest developments in structural heart therapies, which could have implications for the treatment strategies and outcomes for patients with tricuspid valve disorders.
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