Cardiovascular Today—October 30, 2025

LucidQuest

1 week ago

This week in cardiovascular: the latest clinical updates, industry progress, and developments from leading biopharma companies.

In Today’s Newsletter

🧪 Medtronic previews coronary, structural heart, RDN data at TCT 2025 [1] [22 Oct 2025]

https://news.medtronic.com/Medtronic-announces-new-clinical-milestones-spanning-coronary,-renal-denervation-and-structural-heart-businesses-at-TCT-2025
Context: TCT 2025 program includes SCAAR real-world Prevail DCB analyses, Optimize PRO final TAVR care-pathway results, and SPYRAL RDN durability and registry findings.
Key point: Company announced multiple data readouts across Prevail DCB, Evolut PRO/PRO+, and Symplicity Spyral, including 3-year SPYRAL HTN-ON MED and first SPYRAL AFFIRM report (endpoints not specified).
Implication: Signals pipeline investment and modality expansion.

🔬 CXCR4-targeted PET flags post-MI remodeling risk, JNM study [2] [23 Oct 2025]

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20251023/Novel-PET-scan-quickly-predicts-functional-recovery-after-heart-attack.aspx
Context: 49 AMI patients imaged within 1 week with CXCR4 PET/CT, MPI, and CMR; 40 had ~8-month CMR follow-up.
Key point: CXCR4 upregulation extended beyond infarct core and correlated with later LV dysfunction, supporting prognostic utility.
Implication: Could inform practice and payer discussions; interpretation depends on study design and confounding control.

🔥 Ventyx VTX3232 cuts hsCRP in Phase 2 cardiometabolic study [3] [23 Oct 2025]

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/ventyxs-cv-drug-reduces-stroke-biomarker-80-1st-week-phase-2-study
Context: 175 patients with CV risk and obesity; oral NLRP3 inhibitor tested as mono- and add-on to semaglutide; primary endpoint safety.
Key point: Monotherapy reduced hsCRP ~78% over 12 weeks vs placebo, with early ~80% drop in week 1; combo showed significant biomarker reductions vs semaglutide alone.
Implication: May influence prescriber choice and payer reviews pending full data.

❤️ Wegovy CV benefit observed regardless of weight loss, SELECT analysis [4] [23 Oct 2025]

https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20251023/wegovy-confers-reductions-in-cardiovascular-risk-regardless-of-weight-loss
Context: Secondary analysis of SELECT (n=17,604) published in The Lancet; adults ≥45 years with ASCVD and BMI ≥27 kg/m².
Key point: Semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced MACE vs placebo irrespective of weight loss; greater waist-circumference reduction associated with larger benefit.
Implication: May influence prescriber choice and payer reviews pending full data.

🩺 AccuCinch shows sustained 2-year reverse remodeling in HFrEF [5] [23 Oct 2025]

https://cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/clinical/interventional-cardiology/transcatheter-heart-failure-implant-ancora-heart-linked-positive-2-year-data
Context: Structural Heart publication; 51 symptomatic HFrEF patients implanted.
Key point: Reverse remodeling persisted at 2 years with QoL gains and lower HF hospitalization risk reported.
Implication: May influence prescriber choice and payer reviews pending full data.

🫀 Sapien M3 TMVR meets 1-year composite goal in ENCIRCLE [6] [US • 27 Oct 2025]

https://cardiovascularnews.com/tct-2025-promising-results-seen-with-transfemoral-tmvr-system-at-one-year/
Context: Pivotal TMVR trial in MR ≥3+ unsuitable for surgery or TEER; 299 treated, 287 implanted; TCT 2025 late-breaker, Lancet publication.
Key point: 1-year composite death or HF rehospitalization 25.2% vs 45% goal; >95% had ≤1+ MR at 30 days and 1 year, with NYHA and KCCQ improvements; stroke 9.3%.
Implication: May influence prescriber choice and payer reviews pending full data.

🫁 STORM-PE: CAVT superior to anticoagulation alone in PE [7] [US • 27 Oct 2025]

https://cardiovascularnews.com/storm-pe-finds-mechanical-thrombectomy-superior-to-anticoagulation-alone-3/
Context: RCT, 100 patients across 22 sites; Penumbra Lightning Flash 16Fr system plus anticoagulation vs anticoagulation alone.
Key point: Greater RV/LV ratio reduction at 48 hours with CAVT (0.52 vs 0.24; p<0.001); normalization more frequent; MAE similar at 7 days (4.3% vs 7.5%).
Implication: May influence prescriber choice and payer reviews pending full data.

🧭 iMODERN and PROMISE: STEMI nonculprit PCI timing and MINOCA care [8] [28 Oct 2025]

https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2025/10/24/16/56/tues-254pm-combo-mi-tct-2025
Context: Late-breaking TCT 2025; iMODERN in NEJM, PROMISE in EHJ.
Key point: iMODERN found immediate iFR-guided PCI not superior to deferred MRI-guided strategy at 3 years; PROMISE stratified pathway improved angina at 12 months and reclassified diagnosis in 75.5%.
Implication: Could inform practice and payer discussions; interpretation depends on study design and confounding control.

🧯 IC7Fc shows dual metabolic-cardiovascular potential in mice [9] [28 Oct 2025]

https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/new-study-reveals-potential-two-in-one-treatment-for-diabetes-and-heart-disease
Context: Science Advances preclinical study; Leiden, Monash and collaborators; lean athero-prone mice.
Key point: IC7Fc reduced triglycerides and cholesterol, lowered vascular plaque and inflammation without affecting weight or intake in lean mice.
Implication: Signals pipeline investment and modality expansion.

🧠 Philips × Nicolab expand AI stroke workflows in India [10] [India • 28 Oct 2025]

https://www.expresshealthcare.in/news/philips-and-nicolab-collaborate-to-advance-stroke-care-in-india/451251/
Context: Stroke burden ~1.8 million new cases annually in India; StrokeViewer AI integrates with Philips Azurion.
Key point: First cloud-based CTP analysis clearance in India, enabling instant AI imaging, centralized data and team collaboration within Azurion workflows.
Implication: Could streamline initiation and adherence via remote prescribing and logistics.

Why it matters

TMVR and LV restoration programs are maturing with year-long to multi-year data, expanding options for non-surgical MR and HFrEF.
Anti-inflammatory cardiometabolic strategies, from NLRP3 inhibition to GLP-1s, are showing CV signals beyond weight loss.
Imaging and AI advances are pushing earlier risk stratification and faster care pathways in MI and stroke.
RCTs in PE and STEMI nonculprit management are reshaping interventional thresholds and timing decisions.

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FAQ

What is VTX3232 and what did Phase 2 show?

VTX3232 is an oral NLRP3 inhibitor from Ventyx. In a 175-patient Phase 2, monotherapy cut hsCRP ~78% over 12 weeks with early week-1 drops and favorable safety; combo with semaglutide improved multiple inflammatory markers vs semaglutide alone [3].

Does semaglutide’s CV benefit depend on weight loss?

In a SELECT secondary analysis, semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced MACE vs placebo regardless of weight loss. Larger waist-circumference reductions correlated with greater benefit, but the majority of benefit was unexplained by weight loss alone [4].

How did Sapien M3 perform at one year?

In ENCIRCLE, the composite of all-cause death or HF rehospitalization was 25.2% vs a 45% performance goal. Over 95% had ≤1+ MR at 30 days and one year, with NYHA and KCCQ gains; stroke was 9.3% at one year [6].

What is the STORM-PE takeaway for PE management?

CAVT using Penumbra Lightning Flash plus anticoagulation produced larger 48-hour RV/LV ratio reductions than anticoagulation alone, with similar short-term MAE rates, supporting advanced therapy in intermediate-high-risk PE [7].

What did iMODERN and PROMISE change in practice?

iMODERN showed no superiority of immediate iFR-guided PCI over deferred MRI-guided nonculprit lesion management in STEMI at 3 years. PROMISE found a stratified MINOCA approach improved angina at 12 months and reclassified diagnoses in 75.5% [8].

What is Philips and Nicolab’s collaboration delivering in India?

Integration of Nicolab’s StrokeViewer AI with Philips Azurion to speed CT perfusion analysis, decision-making and inter-team communication, targeting faster access to interventional stroke care across India [10].

Entities / Keywords

Medtronic; Prevail DCB; Evolut PRO; Symplicity Spyral • CXCR4 PET; Journal of Nuclear Medicine • Ventyx Biosciences; VTX3232; NLRP3 inhibitor; hsCRP • Novo Nordisk; semaglutide; Wegovy; SELECT • Ancora Heart; AccuCinch; HFrEF • Edwards Lifesciences; Sapien M3; TMVR; ENCIRCLE • Penumbra; Lightning Flash; CAVT; STORM-PE • iMODERN; iFR; NEJM • PROMISE; MINOCA; EHJ • IC7Fc; Science Advances • Philips; Nicolab; StrokeViewer; Azurion; India.