I don't directly invest in med-tech, but attending Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics for five years makes me wonder how an investor separates winners and losers. I know TCT 2011 has both, but which are which? Asking about the patient population is just the start of the investor conversation, but in an age in which indications for use are becoming increasingly narrow, it's probably the last question, too. After all, we have radio-frequency ablation devices approved for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, but not for persistent or long-standing afib....

SAN FRANCISCO Some occupations, such as the position of cornerback in professional football, are served well by a short memory, but physicians in attendance at this year's edition of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT 2011) are having a tough time getting through the third day's events without being reminded of late-stent thrombosis (LST) in drug-eluting stents and the accompanying firestorm.

SAN FRANCISCO This year's edition of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics isn't exactly swimming with regulatory personnel, but one of the more strategically important sessions took place yesterday morning, when regulators and industry met to discuss the current state of harmonization-by-doing (HBD) between FDA and Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA).

SAN FRANCISCO The caffeine-fueled environs of the Moscone Center here in the City by the Bay once again serve as host to Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF; New York), but the gorgeous weather in the 94103 zip code ran counter to the dour mood of the Monday morning session on the future of the drug-eluting stent (DES).