Edwards Lifesciences, a global leader in structural heart innovation, has unveiled 10-year results from its COMMENCE aortic trial, underscoring the long-term durability and sustained performance of its proprietary RESILIA tissue.
The results arrive as valvular heart disease continues to place a growing strain on healthcare systems across the Asia-Pacific region. With clinical practice increasingly shifting toward earlier intervention, demand is rising for valve solutions designed to last over the long term.
“By extending the evidence base to 10 years, these data further support the long-term durability and performance of RESILIA tissue,” said Vikram Jaisinghani, Senior Director, Medical Affairs, Asia-Pacific, Edwards Lifesciences.
“The COMMENCE trial provides prospective, 10-year durability data that contribute to the evidence base supporting lifetime management for patients with aortic stenosis.”
At the decade mark, COMMENCE trial outcomes showed consistently high durability and stability among patients treated with Edwards surgical valves featuring RESILIA tissue: 97.9% freedom from structural valve deterioration (SVD); 97.8% freedom from reoperation due to SVD; 98.6% freedom from non-structural valve dysfunction (other than PVL).
The data highlight not only durability but also long-term functional stability—key factors in reducing repeat interventions over a patient’s lifetime.
“From a clinical practice perspective, minimal structural valve deterioration observed at 10 years provides important confidence for long-term treatment planning and may help reduce the need for repeat interventions over a patient’s lifetime.” said Jeffrey Jeswant Dillon, Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Institut Jantung Negara (IJN), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“As bioprosthetic valves are increasingly used in younger and lower-risk patients, many of whom lead active lifestyles and wish to avoid anticoagulation, plus their ascending life expectancy, long-term durability has become a central consideration in surgical decision-making."
Edwards Lifesciences says the COMMENCE findings add to nearly 70 years of innovation in structural heart therapies and expand its broader clinical evidence base, which includes large randomized studies such as the PARTNER trial series.
The PARTNER trials established long-term outcomes for transcatheter and surgical aortic valve therapies, while COMMENCE extends the durability story specifically for RESILIA tissue technology.
To date, more than 500,000 patients globally—including over 30,000 in Asia-Pacific—have been treated with Edwards’ surgical and transcatheter technologies incorporating RESILIA tissue.
“This significant advancement in tissue technology underscores Edwards’ long-standing commitment to pioneering innovation and advancing long term patient outcomes across Asia-Pacific,” said Amit Raheja, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, Edwards Lifesciences.
“As Asia-Pacific becomes an increasingly important region for Edwards, we continue to invest in clinical evidence and regional capabilities to support sustainable growth and improved patient care. The availability of robust 10-year clinical data helps ensure that clinicians in the region are equipped to make informed treatment decisions that benefit patients over their lifetime.”
