Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s (CRF) TCT 2022 in Review

The 34th Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), was held Sept. 16-20 in Boston, MA. For those of us on hand for the event, and others who participated virtually, it was clear how TCT has become the premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

This year’s blockbuster program drew a larger than anticipated number of attendees to participate in person, to connect with and learn from nearly 300 speakers, three days filled with scientific sessions and emerging research, live cases from across the globe, and a wide-ranging program focused on major medical research breakthroughs. As recounted by CRF leadership, TCT 2022 gathered leading researchers and clinicians from around the world who presented and discussed the latest evidence-based research in the field. As noted by our editorial team at the event and the dozens of program directors, planners, and participants, the energy and enthusiasm about cardiovascular technologies, clinical trials and collaborations moving forward were both impressive and impactful.

Throughout TCT, attendees took the opportunity to engage in multiple focus areas, including: Coronary Theater, Structural Theater, Innovation Theater, Clinical Science and Endovascular Theater, World Connect Theater, Presentation Theater; additionally, the CRF team worked to present Emerging Clinical Science & Research; a Training Pavilion for the Nurse and Technologist Symposium; Career Transition Lounge; and an expansive, engaging Exhibit Hall.

CRF Leadership: Collaboration at the Heart of TCT2022 Success

The Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology (DAIC)/dicardiology.com editorial team caught up with Juan F. Granada, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of CRF, at the Conference immediately after the final sessions on Sept. 20, where shared his thoughts at the end of the successful conference.

“We are very, very excited,” said Granada. “One of the things we were all wondering is with all of these social, political and biological challenges, is whether people were going to be open to work together, come to a meeting and participate in events like this. To see such an overwhelming response — the energy, the commitment, the engagement, is really just unbelievable,” he added. He recalled that at the start of our program, he and TCT/CRF leadership focused on the purposeful program that resulted in meaningful outcomes. “The most important part of the meeting is the networking, the protocols that are actually developed during the discussions, the innovations that actually are invented during the meeting, the contacts established, that is what combines to make this meeting really, really important,” he explained, adding, “We are very grateful to everyone who participated to make this such a terrific event.”

American Heart Association (AHA) Alliance Advances Research and Education

Two leaders in cardiovascular disease science, research and education — the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) — have joined forces this fall with a unique and forward-thinking alliance. The collaboration, which began at TCT 2022 and will continue at the AHA 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago in November, was established to help strengthen and expand educational opportunities in cardiovascular disease and interventional therapies. At TCT 2022, the AHA presented Best Practices sessions focused on clinical guidelines and vascular care. The Association’s Scientific Sessions leaders shared live highlights of TCT from the World Connect studio. In turn, CRF will present several sessions at the Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022, to be held November 5-7 in Chicago, IL.

“Harnessing the strengths of our two pioneering organizations with extensive experience in translating the latest scientific breakthroughs into practical therapies is crucial,” said the AHA’s Chief Executive Officer Nancy Brown in a written statement. Brown added, “Together, we aim to boost the pace of knowledge, research and expertise within the cardiovascular disease and cardiac interventional therapy communities to help transform cardiovascular care for patients all over the world, particularly as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its still-to-be-uncovered impacts throughout the body and especially the heart.” 

“This collaboration will foster innovative research and education by bringing together world-renowned experts in the field to identify and advance the most promising science in cardiology and interventional cardiology,” noted CRF’s President and Chief Executive Officer Juan F. Granada, MD. He added, “The future of our profession and the health of our patients will be brighter because of this collective effort.” 

Med Tech Innovation Forum

Kicking off this year’s event, the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) and Fogarty Innovation held a full-day summit on the first day of TCT, the annual scientific symposium of CRF. The organizers reported that the intensive, interactive summit brought together clinicians, entrepreneurs, investors, payors, and regulators to identify clinical challenges, uncover opportunities for innovation, and drive a practical understanding of the rewards and complex processes required to bring novel medical technologies to market.

“We aimed to develop unique solutions and identify priorities for innovation with the ultimate goal of transforming patient care,” said Juan F. Granada, MD, of CRF. He noted that the intention of the Forum was to shape the future of patient care and medtech innovation through informed discussion, debate, and real-world insight. “The program has been carefully designed to focus on the key issues facing medtech innovation and the field of interventional cardiology, as well as the trends driving the field forward,” added Granada.

Specific main sessions topics included:

• Shaping Innovation Priorities: Global Demographic and Population Health Trends
• Emerging Models of Healthcare Delivery
• Predicting the Future of MedTech: Transformative Concepts and Technological Trends
• Pain Points in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities 

The Forum also examined cutting-edge breakthroughs and trends in cardiovascular medicine. Featured technology workshops will center on emerging devices and prospects for structural heart disease, interventional heart failure, and stroke interventions.

Fogarty Innovation (FI) is a nonprofit organization that advances human health by incubating companies, educating stakeholders, and bringing innovators, industry, and government together to strengthen the startup medtech ecosystem. FI is made up of seasoned industry professionals who have dedicated their careers to the invention, development, and deployment of new health technologies into clinical care.

“Our goals are to uncover insights that help innovators better understand and address market needs and build meaningful collaborations that help important new technologies reach patients as soon as possible,” said Andrew Cleeland, Chief Executive Officer of Fogarty Innovation.

Featured Late-breaking Clinical Trials

At TCT 2022, dozens of wide-ranging clinical trials were presented in collaboration with top medical journals: the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); the Journal of the American College of Cardiology; the journal Circulation; the New England Journal of Medicine, and the journal Lancet.

The Late-Breaking Clinical Science in Vascular Disease and Hypertension: Session III was moderated by Gregory Curfman, MD, and Jay S. Giri, MD, MPH. Discussants included: Ori Ben-Yehuda, Naomi Fisher, MD, Felix Mahfoud, MD, Sahil A. Parikh, MD, Kenneth Rosenfield, MD, and Eric A. Secemsky, MD, MSc.

"Endovascular Ultrasound Renal Denervation to Treat Uncontrolled Hypertension: Primary Results of the Randomized, Sham-Controlled RADIANCE II Pivotal Trial," presented by Ajay J. Kirtane.

"Long-Term Outcomes Following Catheter-Based Renal Denervation in Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension: 3-Year Follow-up of the SYMPLICITY HTN-3 Trial," presented by Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs, Professor, Harvard Medical School, on behalf of the SYMPLICITY Steering Committee and Investigators. 

"Pulmonary Artery Denervation for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Sham-Controlled Randomized Trial," presented by ShaoLiang Chen, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions.

"Outcomes for the Full US Cohort of the FLASH FlowTriever Mechanical Thrombectomy Registry in Pulmonary Embolism,"  presented by Catalin Toma.

"Routine Ultrasound Guidance for Vascular Access for Cardiac Procedures: A Randomized Trial (UNIVERSAL)," presented by Sanjit Jolly on behalf of UNIVERSAL investigators.

Awards Recognize Commitment to Excellence

Four significant awards were presented during TCT 2022.

The TCT 2022 Career Achievement Award was presented to Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD. Fuster currently serves as Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, Director of Mount Sinai Heart, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. He is also the General Director of the National Center for Cardiovascular Research or CNIC (equivalent to NHLBI) in Madrid, Spain. His extraordinary clinical achievements and his dedication to global health and public education have earned him the title of doctor honoris causa from 35 universities.

A world-renowned cardiologist, researcher, and advocate for global heart disease prevention, Dr. Fuster has dedicated his life to improving the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease. Over the course of his career, he has authored more than 1,000 scientific articles. His research has elevated the knowledge and treatment of coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis. Among the positions of distinction that he has held are president of the American Heart Association, president of the World Heart Federation, and president of the ACC Training Program.  In 2022, the American College of Cardiology established a new award in his honor, the Valentin Fuster Award for Innovation in Science, which he received in its first year.

The TCT 2022 Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Operator Award was presented to Jean Fajadet, MD. A pioneer in the field of interventional cardiology, Fajadet is recognized for his mastery of complex procedures. With more than 35 years of experience, his distinguished career has spanned decades and continents, with hundreds of scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals and having served as principal investigator or co-investigator in 49 groundbreaking international and multicenter clinical trials for innovative interventional procedures and devices.

Dr. Fajadet's passion and dedication to educating, training, and paving the way for the next generation of interventional cardiologists is another facet of his contributions to the field.

Among his many major accomplishments, Dr. Fajadet is co-founder, vice chairman, and course director of EuroPCR, where he also served as president from 2011 to 2014. He is also course director of GulfPCR-GIM and AICT/AsiaPCR, advisor to PCR London Valves, course chairman of PCR-CIT China Chengdu Valves, and co-founder and former co-director of the Clinique Pasteur Interventional Cardiovascular Group, the leading center in France.

The recipient of the TCT 2022 Thomas J. Linnemeier “Spirit of Interventional Cardiology” Young Investigator Award is Jennifer Rymer, MD, MBA, MHS, John Bush Simpson Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. The award was announced Sept. 19 during the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2022 Conference, held in Boston, MA, in conjunction with the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). The award was presented by CRF leader Gary S. Mintz, MD, and David J. Cohen, MD, MSc, St. Francis Hospital, and CRF Director of Clinical and Outcomes Research.

“I am deeply honored,” said Rymer after the award ceremony. She added, “The other finalists are so accomplished, and I am so honored to be considered for this award. I really want to thank all of my mentors at Duke , and Dr. Mehran, and also Women as One. I would not be here had it not been for those folks who have believed in me forever, so I really appreciate them and all of their guidance and mentorship over the years.”

“What a thrilling moment to see Dr. Jennifer Rymer receive the TCT 2022 Young Investigator Award,” said  Roxana Mehran, MD, TCT Course Co-Director, Professor of Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. Mehran congratulated Rymer immediately after the award was announced and added, “There is no one more deserving than Dr. Rymer for all of her relentless work in diversity, inclusion and mentorship. She is a dynamo, and someone to look out for, as she has already risen as a star, and is sure to shine for many, many more years.”

Rymer holds a Fellowship in both Cardiovascular Medicine and Interventional Cardiology from Duke University Medical School, where she is currently the John Bush Simpson Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Duke University Medical Center. Rymer received her BS, MBA and MD from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Among her impressive credentials, Rymer has published 70 peer-reviewed publications, 41 as first author.

The presenters summarized the award’s history and significance, and recognized the other two finalists who were considered for the award. They include: Eric Alexander Secemsky, MD, MSc, who serves as the primary vascular interventionalist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA; and Janarthanan Sathananthan, MBChB, MPH, a clinical interventional cardiologist at St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, Canada.

The TCT Innovation Shark Tank Competition is a global initiative designed to identify and promote the development of novel technologies having the potential to transform human health. The competition has been funded by the Jon DeHaan Foundation for Medical Innovation for the past five years.

Puzzle Medical Devices, a provider of hemodynamic support in Heart Failure (HF), was selected as the winner of the TCT 2022 Innovation Shark Tank Competition. Puzzle Medical is a Canadian company specializing in the development of a minimally invasive long-term hemodynamic transcatheter pump. A total of six companies participated in the competition, from which three finalists were selected. In addition to Puzzle Medical Devices, the two other finalists were Magneto Thrombectomy Solutions, a pulmonary embolism solution, and Solopace, a purpose build pacing system for TAVR.

About CRF

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations specializing in interventional cardiology innovation, research, and education. CRF is dedicated to helping doctors improve survival and quality of life for people suffering from heart and vascular disease. For over 30 years, CRF has helped accelerate medical breakthroughs and educated doctors on the latest treatments for heart disease. CRF’s centers of excellence include the CRF Skirball Center for Innovation, CRF Clinical Trials Center, CRF Center for Education, CRF Digital, TCTMD, and Structural Heart: The Journal of the Heart Team.

The next CRF TCT Conference will be held in San Francisco, CA, October 23-27, 2023.

For additional information: https://tct2022.crfconnect.com/

Related TCT 2022 Coverage:

TCT 2022 Honors Recipient of Thomas J. Linnemeier Young Investigator Award

TCT 2022 Announces Winner of Shark Tank Innovation Award

Educational Leaders Join Forces on Educational Opportunities

Top TCT 2022 Award Recipients announced by Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF)