DENVER – Getting payers on board may be tougher than getting regulators on board, but Edwards Lifesciences Corp. of Irvine, Calif., said it has data indicating that its Sapien 3 valve is cost effective for use in intermediate-risk patients. The company said an analysis of data for 2,000 patients demonstrated that the Sapien 3 beats surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) at one year by more than $15,000, while the TAVR device was also less expensive for hospital costs associated with the index procedure by more than $4,200. Read More
