Inside STAT: The astounding 19-year journey to a sea change for heart patients

AN EARLY MODEL OF THE HEART VALVE FROM EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES. (JACQUELYN MARTIN/AP)

When 9-year-old Brunhilde Seffens contracted scarlet fever in 1949, doctors warned her that she would develop heart problems later in life. That warning came true in 2014, when a doctor told her that the valve on her aorta was not working properly. Seffens, who was avoiding open heart surgery, got the valve replacement treatment she needed through a clinical trial being run by Edwards Lifesciences. But the story of the company, like Seffens’, played out over a long time. Nineteen years to be exact, and it included concerns over at-risk patients and corrupt investors. STAT’s Matthew Herper has the full story on the saga here.