TCT 2026 Preview: 28 Late-Breaking Studies Spanning Moderate AS, Wire-Free Physiology, and Tricuspid Therapy
Cardiology news for physicians · Published October 20, 2026 · Meeting dates: October 31 to November 3, 2026, San Diego
TCT 2026 opens Saturday, October 31, at the San Diego Convention Center for a four-day run, the second time the meeting has been held in San Diego in its 38-year history.
The program lists 28 late-breaking studies across Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, each block paired with a journal partner (Lancet, Circulation, NEJM, European Heart Journal, JACC, and JAMA).
Saturday is given over to the MedTech Innovation Forum, a nurse and technologist symposium, and cases with master operators.
A 2.5-day AI Lab covers algorithm fundamentals for clinicians alongside real-world applications in ECG analysis, coronary artery disease diagnosis, imaging interpretation, and patient reporting.
Meeting leadership has described artificial intelligence as approaching an inflection point for the specialty, pairing practical training with an emphasis on preserving the human side of care.
Sunday, November 1: Coronary Trials and Structural Science
Sunday's coronary-focused LBCT block opens with P4, which compares coronary CT angiography with intravascular ultrasound for PCI guidance.
TRANSFORM II tests the sirolimus-coated Magic Touch balloon against everolimus-eluting stents in native coronary vessels.
HD-PCI compares higher-dose with lower-dose unfractionated heparin during PCI.
The sham-controlled REMEDY-PILOT examines the Shockwave Reducer coronary sinus reducer in patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary arteries.
The afternoon LBCS block turns to structural disease, with real-world tricuspid regurgitation data, the TRAVEL III trial of LuX-Valve Plus transcatheter tricuspid replacement versus medical therapy, and subgroup results from TRIC-I-HF.
The same session adds 1-year VERITAS data on the Amulet 360 left atrial appendage occlusion device and cost-effectiveness analyses from EARLY TAVR.
Monday, November 2: Moderate AS, Tricuspid Repair, and LAAO Therapy
Meeting leadership singled out Monday as the day with the strongest clinical trial lineup, expected to include practice-changing results.
The NEJM-linked LBCT block opens with PROGRESS, a randomized comparison of TAVI with the Sapien 3 family versus clinical surveillance in moderate aortic stenosis.
CLASP II TR reports clinical and health-status outcomes for transcatheter tricuspid repair with the Pascal system versus medical therapy.
SIMPLAAFY randomizes patients after LAAO with Watchman FLX Pro to aspirin alone, a reduced-dose direct oral anticoagulant, or dual antiplatelet therapy.
A 30-year Global Burden of Disease perspective on degenerative mitral valve disease completes the morning session.
Monday afternoon's European Heart Journal LBCS block pairs two peripheral artery disease trials with three coronary studies centered on angiography-derived physiology.
The peripheral trials compare the PeriSorb bioresorbable scaffold with drug-coated balloons at 1 year and report 3-year outcomes from SIRONA, which pits sirolimus-coated against paclitaxel-coated balloons in femoropopliteal disease.
The coronary studies include an analysis of AIR-STEMI on nonculprit lesion severity, LIPSIA-STRATEGY comparing angiography-derived FFR with wire-based FFR, and a trial of intracoronary nicorandil to prevent no-reflow during primary PCI.
Reference Data Heading Into the Meeting
PROGRESS follows the 5-year EARLY TAVR update, in which early TAVI lowered the composite of death, stroke, or heart failure hospitalization to 15.2% from 24.2% with clinical surveillance (HR 0.58).
Those data contributed to FDA approval of TAVI for asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis in 2025, and PROGRESS tests whether the strategy extends one severity grade earlier.
Monday's coronary analyses build on AIR-STEMI, presented at ESC 2026, which randomized 1,823 STEMI patients with multivessel disease to angiography alone or angiography plus functional coronary angiography.
Physiology-guided PCI reduced the primary composite of death, MI, stroke or TIA, or ischemia-driven revascularization to 8.9% from 13.7% over a median 17.9 months (HR 0.62), and lowered contrast-associated acute kidney injury or major bleeding to 4.6% from 7.1%.
Physiology was assessed by a central core laboratory rather than at enrolling centers, so generalizability remains to be established.
| Trial | Endpoint | Result |
|---|---|---|
| EARLY TAVR (5 years) | Death, stroke, or HF hospitalization | 15.2% early TAVI vs 24.2% surveillance (HR 0.58) |
| AIR-STEMI | Death, MI, stroke/TIA, or ischemia-driven revascularization | 8.9% physiology-guided vs 13.7% angiography (HR 0.62) |
| AIR-STEMI | Contrast-associated AKI or BARC 3-5 bleeding | 4.6% vs 7.1% (HR 0.63) |
| ENCIRCLE (1 year) | Death or HF hospitalization | 25.2% vs 45% performance goal |
Table 1. Published reference results relevant to late-breaking sessions at TCT 2026. Figures are from TCTMD reports of each trial.
Tuesday, November 3: Physiology, Renal Denervation, and Aortic Regurgitation
The morning JACC-linked LBCT block features PIONEER IV, which tests angiography-derived FFR against usual care in all-comers PCI.
EPIC17-VERONICA evaluates VerifyNow platelet function testing to guide P2Y12 inhibitor de-escalation after acute coronary syndromes.
The SPYRAL AFFIRM postapproval study reports US experience with radiofrequency renal denervation using Simplicity Spyral.
IRIS-MAIN adds long-term survival data after revascularization for unprotected left main disease, and a final trial compares single versus double Perclose ProGlide closure after transfemoral TAVI.
The closing JAMA-linked LBCS block opens with 2-year results from ENCIRCLE, the single-arm trial of transseptal Sapien M3 mitral valve replacement.
At 1 year, ENCIRCLE met its primary endpoint, with death or heart failure hospitalization in 25.2% of 299 patients against a 45% performance goal.
Final results from PROTEMBO IDE on the ProtEmbo cerebral protection system during TAVI follow.
Three aortic regurgitation studies complete the meeting: JENA-VAD (JenaValve Trilogy TAVI in patients with a left ventricular assist device), DUOTAP (routine postdilatation versus conventional deployment with balloon-expandable TAVI), and 1-year results of a randomized trial of transcatheter versus surgical AVR for symptomatic severe AR.
Devices and Agents Featured in the Late-Breaking Sessions
| Product (type) | Manufacturer (ticker) | Study | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapien 3 / Ultra / Ultra Resilia, Pascal, Sapien M3 | Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) | PROGRESS, CLASP II TR, ENCIRCLE | Contract-negotiated; confirm with manufacturer |
| Watchman FLX Pro (LAAO) | Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) | SIMPLAAFY | Contract-negotiated; confirm with manufacturer |
| Amulet 360 (LAAO), Perclose ProGlide (closure) | Abbott (NYSE: ABT) | VERITAS; ProGlide closure trial | Contract-negotiated; confirm with manufacturer |
| Simplicity Spyral (renal denervation) | Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) | SPYRAL AFFIRM | Contract-negotiated; confirm with manufacturer |
| Shockwave Reducer (coronary sinus reducer) | Shockwave Medical, a Johnson & Johnson company (NYSE: JNJ) | REMEDY-PILOT | Pricing not publicly listed; confirm with manufacturer |
| Magic Touch (sirolimus-coated balloon) | Concept Medical (no ticker confirmed) | TRANSFORM II, SIRONA | Pricing not publicly listed; confirm with manufacturer |
| LuX-Valve Plus, JenaValve Trilogy, ProtEmbo, PeriSorb, VerifyNow | Jenscare Scientific, JenaValve Technology, Protembis, AMT Medical, Werfen (tickers not confirmed) | TRAVEL III, JENA-VAD, PROTEMBO IDE, PeriSorb trial, EPIC17-VERONICA | Varies; confirm with manufacturer |
| Heparin (unfractionated; multiple brands) | Multiple generic manufacturers | HD-PCI | Varies by pharmacy; check GoodRx |
| Aspirin, reduced-dose DOAC, dual antiplatelet therapy (agents per protocol) | Multiple manufacturers | SIMPLAAFY | Varies by agent; check GoodRx or manufacturer |
| Nicorandil (intracoronary vasodilator) | Varies by country | Monday no-reflow trial | Availability and price vary by country |
Table 2. Products and agents named in the TCT 2026 late-breaking lineup. Tickers are for identification only; the table lists only tickers that could be confirmed. Device pricing is not publicly listed and changes often.
Clinical Scenario (Fictional)
Illustrative case, not a real patient
A 72-year-old patient with moderate calcific aortic stenosis and no symptoms returns for annual surveillance echocardiography and asks whether earlier valve replacement is an option after reading about asymptomatic severe disease data.
Surveillance continues under current practice, since PROGRESS has not yet reported and EARLY TAVR enrolled only severe stenosis.
If PROGRESS shows benefit, the same patient would become a candidate for a heart-team discussion of earlier TAVI that weighs procedural risk, life expectancy, and valve durability.
Items to Watch
Key takeaways
PROGRESS directly addresses whether TAVI has a role in moderate aortic stenosis.
The Monday and Tuesday physiology sessions (the AIR-STEMI analysis, LIPSIA-STRATEGY, and PIONEER IV) will show whether angiography-derived FFR holds up outside a core-laboratory setting.
Because most studies are being presented for the first time, effect sizes and endpoints should be confirmed against the primary presentations and publications once released.
References
- TCTMD. What’s Going to Be Hot at TCT 2026. October 19, 2026.
- TCTMD. AIR-STEMI: Angiography-Derived FFR Informs Complete PCI in STEMI. August 30, 2026.
- TCTMD. EARLY TAVR: 5-Year Data Still Support TAVI Over Surveillance in Asymptomatic AS. June 24, 2026.
- TCTMD. ENCIRCLE: Good Results With Sapien M3 Transseptal TMVR. October 27, 2025.
- Cardiovascular Research Foundation. TCT 2026 AI Lab. TCT conference site.
- ClinicalTrials.gov. PROGRESS trial record (NCT04889872).
Further Viewing
- TCTMD on YouTube: conference interviews, trial discussions, and daily wrap-ups.
- Cardiovascular Research Foundation on YouTube: official channel of the organization that runs TCT.
- American College of Cardiology on YouTube: society channel with meeting and guideline content.
For physician education only; not a substitute for clinical judgment or the primary publications. Manufacturer tickers appear solely to identify companies and do not constitute investment advice or analysis. Trial details reflect pre-meeting listings and published reports and may change at presentation.
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