WATCHMAN's 19% growth and trial wins bolster Boston Scientific's push to expand its addressable market from 5M to 20M patients worldwide.
Boston Scientific $BSX’s BSX Structural Heart franchise continues to gain momentum, driven by the robust performance of the WATCHMAN left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) platform. WATCHMAN is the global leader in percutaneous LAAC and serves as a proven non-pharmacologic alternative to oral anticoagulants.
In the first quarter of 2026, WATCHMAN grew 19%, led by the annualization of the initial concomitant adoption tailwind, alongside some softening in standalone WATCHMAN procedures due to hospital capacity constraints, shifting procedure prioritization and evolving reimbursement dynamics.
The company remains focused on clinical expansion. Enrollment in the SIMPLAAFY trial has been completed, with data expected in the second half of 2026. In addition, the CHAMPION trial achieves all primary and secondary endpoints, reinforcing the safety and efficacy of WATCHMAN.
Globally, these results provide strong evidence to support expanding the eligible patient population for WATCHMAN over time across major markets, including the United States, Japan, China and Europe. Positive outcomes expand the addressable market from approximately 5 million to 20 million patients worldwide, supporting WATCHMAN’s long-term growth potential.
Abbott $ABT Laboratories’ ABT LAAC franchise has been transferred from the Structural Heart division to the Electrophysiology (EP) business, reflecting the increasing convergence of structural and electrophysiology therapies. The EP segment delivered 13% growth, supported by the successful launch of two pulsed field ablation (PFA) catheters during the quarter.
In the United States, the introduction of the Volt PFA catheter drove 14% growth, while the launch of the TactiFlex Duo catheter contributed to mid-teens growth across Europe. In parallel, Abbott continues to advance its next-generation LAAC platform, commonly referred to by investors as the “NextGen 360” device, which is expected to strengthen the company’s position in the expanding stroke prevention market.
Edwards Lifesciences $EW’ EW Surgical Structural Heart business pioneered the innovative RESILIA tissue, which is backed by more than 40 years of the company’s tissue technology leadership. In first-quarter 2026, the segment grew 6% from the prior-year level, driven by strong global adoption of Edwards’ premium resilient technologies, including INSPIRIS, MITRIS and KONECT.
Edwards has been continuously generating evidence to expand the RESILIA portfolio. Last year, management reported positive one-year results from MOMENTIS, supporting the long-term durability of MITRIS systems for surgical mitral valve replacement. It also unveiled favorable eight-year data showing the strong durability of RESILIA tissue bioprosthetic valves.
Shares of Boston Scientific have lost 44.7% over the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 27.1%. The S&P 500 composite has grown 33% in the same period.
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From a valuation standpoint, BSX trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio (P/S) of 3.83X, above the industry median of 3.01X.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BSX’s 2026 earnings has moved south 1.2% over the past 30 days.
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BSX stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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