TCT 2023 Leadership Anticipates 'Practice Changing' Findings Ahead of 35th Scientific Symposium

October 18, 2023 — The following is an updated program preview of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's (CRF) annual scientific symposium. Its Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference, TCT 2023, will take place from October 23-26 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. In a recent media briefing, highlights of the event, including highly-anticipated sessions, were previewed by CRF President and Chief Executive Officer, Juan Granada, MD, who was joined by program directors Ajay J. Kirtane, MD, Columbia University (NY), and Roxana Mehran, MD, FACC, FACP, FAHA, FESC, FSCAI, Mt. Sinai (NY).

The four-day event — with anticipated attendance reaching 10,000 this year, including 2,000 faculty, according to Granada — is a global educational forum specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine, offering a comprehensive, practical and interactive experience led by experts in coronary, structural, and endovascular interventions. TCT features cutting-edge research in interventional cardiovascular medicine that directly impacts patient care and how physicians treat heart disease.  

Granada focused on the work of a large group of CRF faculty who helped develop the program, noting key highlights of TCT 2023, which include:

• 27 Late-breakers, including 12 late-breaking trials and 15 late-breaking science, selected from 175 submissions which reflect the most submissions in a decade
• 400+ hours of educational programming
• 25 innovative sessions
• 28 Featured Clinical Science sessions
• 44 live cases from 18 medical institutions around the world
• 774 Moderated Abstracts
• 24 Satellites
• 75+ Exhibitors
• 4 Awards
• 19 Learning Tracks
• 15 Session Types

“We’re really excited about the content and programming,” said Kirtane adding, “There will be a range of what you would expect across endovascular, coronary and structural domains at TCT.”

“Over the years, you could see how TCT has become central in terms of not only training interventional cardiologists, but very importantly, the central place where the science in interventional cardiology, which is incredibly moving and constantly innovating disruptive therapies, come forth, this is the stage for it,” commented Mehran. Noting this is her 28th year with TCT, which served as the stage for her, she added, “This is the place where the next generation of leaders will be coming through and we’re committed to educating them, showcasing them, lifting them, and giving them the platform they deserve to have.”

For 2023, the TCT program directors, in collaboration with nearly 50 world-renowned thought leaders on the Program Development Committee, have designed a comprehensive program to foster engagement and interactive case-based learning with a diverse line-up of faculty. They noted that attendees can expect to find deep-dive, topic-oriented practical, case-based sessions, with featured clinical research and other noteworthy sessions, hands-on training and extensive networking. Program highlights and session plans follow.

Program Features

Opening introductory remarks on Tuesday, October 26 at 9:30 a.m. will begin day two of TCT 2023, followed by 6 clinical practice sessions, 6 moderated abstract presentations, 6 complex cases with the masters, and a total of 24 spotlight sessions. Two of those spotlight sessions will feature American Heart Association (AHA) Hot Takes sessions, part of AHA@TCT, which began last year.

The packed program offers multiple types of sessions, including: iCOACH Clinical Practice Sessions; Late-Breaking Clinical Trials and Science; Complex Cases with the Masters; Moderated Abstracts; Spotlight Sessions; and Special Events. Program planners have broken the wide range of sessions into a total of eight tracks, which include: Coronary; Live Cases; Mitral; Endovascular; Heart Failure; Tricuspid; TAVR; and LAA/PFO, for which many will have Spotlight Theater’s to accommodate participants.

Late-Breakers

The late-breaking clinical trials and science presentations will be presented on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. DAIC will continue to provide coverage on detailed sessions and outcomes.

“Every one of them has a possibility of changing practice, and this is really important,” noted Mehran in speaking to the results. “They’re all relevant to clinical practice,” noted Kirtane, who further noted, “There are angles that will change things and the question is ‘how much will they change them?’ and that depends on the results, so we are really excited to showcase the ones we know about, and we’re really excited to find the results of the ones we don’t because I think that they will inform practice, especially on the interventional side across structural coronary and endovascular areas.”

Live Cases

In the Structural Theater, on Tuesday, October 24 and Thursday October 26, from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., participants will have an opportunity to learn from more than 40 live cases presented, remotely, which will be performed by leading experts from 18 of the world’s most distinguished medical institutions (listed on TCT2023 event website), which planners enthusiastically report offers the ability to watch complex procedures performed live by the masters.

Throughout the Moscone Center, CRF’s TCT program team is setting up easily-accessible areas for all of the educational and clinical programs. Six moderated abstract stations will present Emerging Clinical Science and Research throughout the event.

MedTech Innovation Forum to Feature FDA Commissioner

This year, TCT will again hold its TCT MedTech Innovation Forum, schedule for Monday, October 23, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:45 p.m., with a networking reception to follow, from 5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. The Innovation Forum will feature three tracks: Global Market Dynamics; Hot Topics in MedTech Innovation; and FDA University for Start-Ups.

Granada offered this about the Forum: “We started the TCT MedTech Innovation Forum last year in an attempt to give space to industry innovators and startups. There are many thigs that actually need to be disclosed in which we need to haer the voices of industry, together with the FDA, with incubators, innovators and with investors. Last year we had 1500 people and this year we expect attendance is going to be around 2,000. The FDA University for Startups is a dedicated track where startups can go meet with FDA and learn about regulatory processes, needs, changes, requirements, etc. This session includes FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, MD, who will be part of this, as well as people from big tech. The closing session is very important where we actually have a great majority of CEOs from our industry present to have a roundtable discussion to discuss the pain points and challenges and potential solutions going forth in the field.”

Also on Monday, the TCT Shark Tank Innovation Competition will take place from 12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

The Nurse and Technologist Symposium will be presented during TCT 2023 on Monday, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Described as the premier full-day forum for front-line nurses, advanced practice providers, and technologists in or out of the cardiac cath lab, the Cardiovascular Research Foundation designates this live activity for a maximum of 7.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.

Kirtane, who did his residency in San Francisco, drew attention to TCT WorldLink, which will also be held on Monday, from colleagues around the world, of which three of them are designated as future clinical science sessions. He also noted how many of the trials have the ability to be outcomes changing, and added that there is a full endovascular track. “Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is a main area of interest this year, as it’s really growing in the interventional space, so look for that both on Innovation Day as well as in the endovascular track sessions.”

FDA Town Hall Highlighted on Tuesday Program Schedule

Tuesday’s FDA Town Hall was another focal point in the Media Briefing, with Mehran noting with enthusiasm the value of the exchanges which have taken place in this arena for nearly 20 years. “There is a lot of very, very important conversation that goes around, and I think there's been huge accomplishments in the early feasibility program for devices in the United States, as well as some of the very important regulatory ecosystems with collaborative pathways that have been put together for device approval…representing how everyone is coming together to bring forth the best innovation in devices and drugs, honestly and it will be showcased at the FDA Town Hall.”

Additionally, she added, “We decided for sure that at the town hall, we needed to address head on diversity and inclusion in terms of how far have we come or how little have we come forth in terms of including the patient populations that have to be included in clinical trials, especially for regulatory approval. There's going to be a very, very high bar now on the regulatory side in order to get devices approved, so that the trials would represent the patients that would be receiving it. We're going to showcase that at FDA Town Hall and then a whole session on renal denervation, mitral and tricuspid valve devices and heart failure. So those are the exciting clinical areas that are really growing, and we need all of the discussions at the table with an open town hall fashion. I'm very excited about this year's FDA Town Hall…because I think if you really want to know what's next in the future, you’ll want to come to these first two days.”

TCT 2023 is CME-accredited for participants who attend in person. Planners note that CME credit can be earned in the following accredited learning locations: Coronary Spotlight; Structural Spotlight; Endovascular Spotlight; and the Nurse and Technologist Symposium.

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) is a nonprofit organization specializing in interventional cardiology innovation, research, and education, and is dedicated to helping doctors improve survival and quality of life for people suffering from heart and vascular disease. The Foundation reports that for over 30 years, it 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.

More information: www.tct2023.crfconnect.com; or www.crf.org

Follow DAIC’s TCT 2023 news coverage before, during and after the Conference.

Related coverage:

CRF Announces TCT 2023 Late-breaking Clinical Trials

MedTech Innovation Forum Leads Day One at TCT 2023

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