How Edwards Lifesciences’ Critical Care Business Is Positioned

In 3Q17, Edwards Lifesciences’ (EW) critical care business registered sales of $145 million, representing growth of ~5%. The business growth was driven by the segment’s core products’ solid growth and the company’s enhanced surgical recovery program in the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.

Hemodynamic monitoring, a key area of the critical care segment, is used for ~11 million patients each year. ClearSight and FloTrac are noninvasive treatment therapies. Medtronic’s (MDT) Chronicle, Abbott’s (ABT) HeartPod, and Boston Scientific’s (BSX) hemodynamic monitoring platform are some competing products in the US critical care market.

Edwards Lifesciences is set to ramp up the launch of its next-generation advance monitoring platform, HemoSphere, around the world. The device is expected to drive long-term growth for the company’s critical care segment. Whereas its sales were minimal in 3Q17, they are expected to improve with the launch.

HemoSphere enables a physician to make timely, life-saving decisions by providing clarity on patients’ hemodynamic status. The company aims to add enhanced surgical recovery capabilities to the HemoSphere platform.

Edwards’s new Acumen software with FloTrac IQ smart disposables is expected to be launched in Europe soon. The device feature alerts physicians of low blood pressure or hypotension in patients.

In fiscal 2017, Edwards Lifesciences expect its critical care segment to generate sales growth at the high end of 5%–7%. In dollar terms, critical care sales of $560 million–$600 million are expected. EW stock makes up ~0.09% of the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI).