Edwards Lifesciences’ Sapien
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Sales of the transcatheter aortic heart valve, primarily in Europe, are on-pace to surpass the $50 million mark in 2008, the firm says during its Oct. 22 third-quarter earnings call. "Continued clinician enthusiasm" and the addition of about 20 more implanting centers, on top of the 50 already using Sapien, drove procedures and sales during the quarter, CEO Michael Mussallem said. About 400 of the valves were implanted during the quarter, generating sales of $13 million. In July, the company projected Sapien sales would be $45 million-$50 million for the year; the device gained a CE mark in September 2007 (1"The Gray Sheet" July 28, 2008, p. 8)