The genetically modified pig heart appears to have been infected with a porcine virus, according to the surgeon who performed the initial transplant. 

The FDA’s approval was based on data from the EXPLORER-HCM trial, which showed that mavacamten was superior to a placebo for treating obstructive HCM and associated with no significant long-term, treatment-related adverse events.

The devices, currently being investigated by teams of heart specialists, could make a big impact in the years ahead. 

The FDA and Medtronic warn some Heartware Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD) systems have a defect that may cause pump thrombosis.

“We believe this case is potentially groundbreaking," one interventional cardiologist said. 

Researchers examined data from more than 750,000 heart failure hospitalizations, sharing their findings in JACC: Heart Failure.