Edwards Lifesciences has announced Health Canada’s approval of the company’s Pascal Precision transcatheter valve repair system for the percutaneous reduction of significant, symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR).
“Patients suffering with debilitating symptoms due to symptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) represent a large and significantly underserved group,” said Neil Fam (St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada). “In the CLASP IID data, patients receiving the Pascal system experienced significant improvements in functional capacity and quality of life that were sustained for the one year of the study period. With the approval of the Pascal Precision transcatheter valve repair system, we now have a new efficient option for treating patients with severe mitral regurgitation in Canada.”
The Pascal Precision system, with its independent grasping, atraumatic clasp and closure, and ability to elongate, enables safe and effective treatment for patients with DMR. The system is designed for manoeuvrability and stability, enabling precise navigation and implant delivery, Edwards Lifesciences said in a press release.
Data from the CLASP IID pivotal trial, the first randomised controlled trial to directly compare two contemporary transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) therapies, confirm the clinical and quality-of-life benefits of MR reduction with the Pascal system in a broad population of patients with DMR. One-year results from the CLASP IID randomised trial, presented at the 2023 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) symposium (23–26 October, San Francisco, USA) and published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, showed the Pascal system achieved freedom from major adverse events rate of 84.7% at one year, and significant and sustained MR reduction, with 95.8% of patients achieving MR ≤2+ at one year.
“The Pascal Precision system is one of multiple transcatheter repair or replacement therapies in development by Edwards that are designed to address mitral valve disease. Edwards is committed to transforming the treatment of mitral and tricuspid patients, supported by a robust body of clinical evidence,” said Frank Wuest, managing director for Edwards Lifesciences in Canada.
The Pascal Precision system received US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of DMR in 2022, in addition to CE mark certification for the treatment of both mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.
