Advancing Our Vision to Cure Afib Through Science, Innovation and Collaboration

With the prevalence of Afib continuing to grow around the world, our mission at Biosense Webster is to cure Afib. It is an ambitious goal, but with continued advancements in science and technology, and strong collaboration between industry and the EP community, I believe this goal is within reach.?

Today, the challenge is clear – Afib impacts more than 37 million people globally, and poses an increased risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. Moreover, AFib increasingly places a critical financial burden on the healthcare system, costing an estimated $42B in 2023 in the US alone. The tools we have today can deliver safe and effective ablations to treat Afib, yet less than 5% of patients who are eligible for catheter ablation get the procedure. That is why our team at Biosense Webster is so committed to changing the trajectory of Afib by enabling safer, more effective and more efficient procedures.?

This week, our team showcased our latest innovations and new scientific data at the Heart Rhythm Society annual meeting – the largest gathering of heart rhythm professionals from around the world.?

One exciting innovation we highlighted is Biosense Webster’s next-generation ablation catheter, QDOT MICRO?. Its unique features allow electrophysiologists to deliver very high power, short duration ablation – up to 90 watts in 4 seconds – enabling simpler and shorter procedures, and the recently-published Q-FFICIENCY IDE study noted that the clinical success rate, defined as freedom from symptomatic recurrence, with QDOT MICRO? was 86.0%. We also exhibited our latest advancement in mapping – the OPTRELL? Mapping Catheter with TRUEref? Technology, as well as our NUVISION? NAV Ultrasound Catheter.?

In addition to all the excitement at our booth and peer-to-peer events, data from 28 Biosense Webster-sponsored and funded studies was presented at the meeting, on topics including new data in radiofrequency (RF) ablation and pulsed field ablation (PFA), the role of digital technologies and AI in advancing cardiac arrhythmia treatment, and real-world evidence demonstrating the impact of catheter ablation on outcomes in diverse patient populations. Sixteen of the 28 abstracts highlight data from the Biosense Webster-funded REAL-AF Registry, with important take-aways about approaches to Afib treatment in the real world.?

Biosense Webster also was pleased to support programs in partnership with Heart Rhythm Society that advance diversity and inclusion in electrophysiology and fuel the next generation of #EPeeps. These include the Growth and Leadership Opportunity with Women in Electrophysiology (GLOWE), focused on empowering more female EPs to succeed in the field, as well as Growth and Leadership Opportunity for Black Electrophysiologists (GLOBE), which launched at the meeting this year with the goal of increasing visibility of black EPs within?

institutions and the EP ecosystem at large. We also had a chance to celebrate the legacy of one of Biosense Webster’s founders – Wilton Wells Webster, with the presentation of the 2023 Will Webster Awards.?

Overall, it was a busy and impactful meeting. Opportunities like the HRS annual conference are invaluable in helping the EP community build connections, share learnings and best practices, and continue to work together to advance new solutions in the field of cardiac electrophysiology.?

Thank you to everyone who engaged with us throughout the meeting, shared your insights and identified opportunities for continued collaboration to advance the standard of care in Afib. I look forward to our continued work together to help patients with Afib around the world live the lives they want.?