JenaValve Partners With Egnite to Evaluate Trends in Aortic Regurgitation Care

June 9, 2023—JenaValve Technology, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of transcatheter aortic valve replacement systems, and Egnite, Inc., a digital health company focused on cardiovascular care, announced a strategic partnership aimed to evaluate the care paradigm and associated outcomes of patients with aortic regurgitation (AR).

According to the companies, the partnership leverages Egnite’s database to quantify prevalence and treatment patterns. The database has conservatively estimated there may be > 500,000 patients in the United States diagnosed with moderate or severe AR.

Duane Pinto, MD, Chief Medical Officer of JenaValve, emphasized the need for broader access to therapies and commented in the press release, “By utilizing cutting-edge analytics and JenaValve’s innovative transcatheter therapies, we hope to drive urgent change, provide improved treatment options, and ultimately save lives. These findings also provide valuable insights for health care providers and policymakers, encouraging further attention toward improving outcomes for patients suffering from AR.”

The companies noted that the first study from their partnership was presented by interventional cardiologist Nicholas S. Amoroso, MD, at TVT: The Structural Heart Summit held June 7-10 in Phoenix, Arizona. The study examined 2-year treatment rates and outcomes for patients with AR using > 1 million patients from Egnite’s database.

The study, which involved 25 leading teaching and nonteaching cardiovascular programs across the United States, found that despite high 2-year mortality rates and guideline indications for treatment, patients with severe AR received low rates of specialist evaluations and treatment with aortic valve replacement.

Additionally, the study demonstrated that patients diagnosed with moderate or severe AR and severe left ventricular dilation exhibited similar mortality rates, suggesting that some patients may benefit from earlier assessment by the heart team.

“This is one of the first artificial intelligence–driven studies providing critical insights into care patterns for patients with moderate or greater AR in the community,” stated Dr. Amoroso in the companies’ press release. “The urgency for digital technologies to identify AR patients earlier and novel therapies to improve outcomes for this vulnerable patient population has never been greater.” Dr. Amoroso is Assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.