Edwards Lifesciences, an Irvine, Calif.-based manufacturer of cardiovascular devices and critical-care monitoring equipment, reported an increase in first-quarter earnings driven by strong sales of its transcatheter aortic valve replacement device.
The positive numbers come after Sapien 3, the company’s latest transcatheter valve, was shown to be superior to surgery in intermediate-risk patients, according to study results presented at the American College of Cardiology earlier this month. The Sapien 3 is the only such device the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for use in patients who would otherwise be at high-risk for open-heart surgery.
