EDWARDS TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE TRIAL APPROVED.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW), Irvine, Calif., the world leader in the science of heart valves, has received conditional approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a pivotal clinical trial of its Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter aortic heart valve technology. The PARTNER (Placement of AoRTic traNscathetER valves) trial will evaluate the SAPIEN valve in patients who are considered high risk for conventional open-heart valve surgery.

"This is a significant and exciting milestone for our transcatheter heart valve program and for Edwards Lifesciences," said Michael A. Mussallem, chairman and CEO. "We have worked closely with the FDA to …