Abbott Laboratories ABT recently unveiled favorable TRILUMINATE Pivotal trial data at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25), held in Chicago. The data demonstrated Abbott’s TriClip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system’s ability to treat tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The system showed substantial and sustained improvements in the severity of TR after two years.

The TriClip system is also found to reduce the rate of hospitalizations due to heart failure compared to medical therapy while offering long-term quality-of-life benefits for patients. The latest development is expected to bolster the company’s Structural Heart business. 

ABT Stock’s Likely Trend Following the News

Following yesterday's announcement, Abbott shares rose 1.4%, closing at $132.65.  

The company currently offers a comprehensive portfolio of structural heart solutions for a range of conditions, enabling patients to achieve better health and an improved quality of life. Moreover, Abbott is an established leader in TEER space with its MitraClip system. We expect the market sentiment toward ABT stock to remain positive surrounding the latest development.

Abbott holds a market capitalization of $230.06 billion. The company’s earnings yield of 3.9% surpasses the industry’s average yield of 0.3%. It delivered an average earnings beat of 1.6% for the trailing four quarters.  

Importance of Abbott’s TriClip TEER system

TR can reduce the amount of blood being pumped through the body and force the heart to work harder than it should, causing debilitating symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath. When left untreated, TR can lead to atrial fibrillation, heart failure and, ultimately, death. Unfortunately, many patients are not eligible for open-heart surgery. TriClip represents a safe, effective and sustainable way to repair the tricuspid valve. It improves a person's quality of life and reduces heart failure hospitalizations (HFH).

About Abbott’s TRILUMINATE Pivotal Trial Result

After two years of the trial, the TRILUMINATE Pivotal study found that TriClip continued to demonstrate superiority compared to medical therapy, while meeting the secondary endpoints of recurrent HFH and freedom from all-cause mortality, tricuspid valve surgery and tricuspid valve intervention. After the first year of the trial, patients in the control group (medical therapy) were allowed to cross over to receive TriClip therapy. 

The control group patients who switched to TriClip treatment had a drop in HFH after receiving the device. A significant reduction in TR was achieved in 84% of patients with the device. Similar improvements were seen in the control group patients who crossed over, with 81% of patients achieving moderate or less TR at 30 days after receiving TriClip. 

Patients who received TriClip achieved more than a 15-point improvement on average in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (“KCCQ”) score throughout follow-up. The KCCQ is a self-assessment tool for evaluating social abilities, symptoms and quality of life. Patients in the crossover group achieved similar improvements in KCCQ scores after being implanted with TriClip.

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Industry Prospects Favor ABT

Per a report by Research Nester, the global tricuspid insufficiency treatment market size was valued at more than $732.9 million in 2024 and is expected to reach $1.83 billion by 2037, exhibiting a 7.3% compound annual growth rate during the period.. Key factors responsible for the market growth include the rise in the incidence of tricuspid valve disorders, advancements in medical technology in the field of cardiac interventions and a rising geriatric population. 

Another Development by ABT

Last month, Abbott received FDA’s investigational device exemption (IDE) approval for its Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy (“IVL”) system to evaluate the treatment of severe calcification in coronary arteries prior to stenting. The TECTONIC Coronary Artery Disease (“CAD”) Intravascular Lithotripsy (“IVL”) clinical trial will enroll up to 335 people in 47 sites in the United States.

ABT Stock Price Performance

In the past year, Abbott’s shares have risen 18.4%, surpassing the industry’s 10.8% growth.

ABT’s Zacks Rank and Key Picks

Abbott currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Masimo MASI, Boston Scientific BSX and Cardinal Health CAH. At present, Masimo sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), whereas Boston Scientific and Cardinal Health carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Masimo’s shares have rallied 18.6% in the past year. Estimates for MASI’s 2024 earnings per share (EPS) have increased 1.2% to $4.10 in the past 30 days. MASI’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.1%. 

Estimates for Boston Scientific’s 2025 EPS have jumped 2.9% to $2.85 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have surged 49.5% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 10.8%. BSX’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 8.25%. 

Estimates for Cardinal Health’s fiscal 2025 EPS have increased 1.5% to $7.94 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have jumped 23.9% in the past year against the industry’s 2.4% decline. CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 9.6%. 

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