Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart diseases include any issues preventing normal cardiovascular function due to damage or alteration to the anatomical components of the heart. This is caused by aging, advanced atherosclerosis, calcification, tissue degeneration, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The most commonly treated areas are the heart valves, in particular the mitral and aortic valves. These can be replaced through open heart surgery or using cath lab-based transcatheter valves or repairs to eliminate regurgitation due to faulty valve leaflets. This includes transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Other common procedures include left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and closing congenital holes in the heart, such as PFO and ASD. A growing area includes transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

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Up in arms over ARBs

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, FDA officials are in a tussle over angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs). Based on evidence of an increased risk in cancer, one reviewer argues for a stronger warning but his bosses aren’t convinced. They describe such action as a diversion from assessing new drug applications.

Grant funds cardiac stem cell research for Duchenne muscular dystrophy-related heart disease

Newport Beach-based nonprofit Coalition Duchenne has awarded a $150,000 grant to a Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute team investigating whether an experimental cardiac stem cell treatment could be used to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients who have developed heart disease.

POZEN announces FDA acceptance of filing of New Drug Application for PA32540/PA8140 tablets

POZEN Inc. (NASDAQ: POZN), a pharmaceutical company committed to transforming medicine that transforms lives, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review, the New Drug Application (NDA) for PA32540/PA8140.

AstraZeneca offers $443M to bolster drug pipeline

AstraZeneca will pay up to $443 million to acquire Omthera Pharmaceuticals, a drug company that specializes in treatments for patients with elevated triglyceride levels.

Xarelto approved in Europe for post-ACS treatment

The European Commission approved the oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban for the prevention of atherothrombotic events after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in adult patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers.

Evidence tilts toward diabetes risk with potent statins

Older patients treated with a high potency statin faced a 10 percent to 22 percent increased risk of new onset diabetes, according to results published online May 23 in BMJ. The authors of an accompanying editorial emphasized that the overall benefits outweigh the risks, “provided the treatment is targeted properly.”

Physician innovator of heart valve repair receives Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute’s Corday Prize in Heart Research

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is honoring the physician widely known as  the leading pioneer in modern mitral heart valve repair, Alain Carpentier, MD, PhD, with the second annual Eliot Corday, MD, International Prize in Heart Research. The Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute established the Corday Prize to recognize physicians and scientists conducting groundbreaking research, or individuals who significantly advance the practice of heart medicine.

EuroPCR.13: ‘Real-world’ TAVI results look promising

ADVANCE, a study of 1,015 patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using Medtronic’s CoreValve system, continued to show clinical benefits at one year. The results were presented May 21 at EuroPCR 2013 in Paris.

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