| Invested through / Financed by |
|
|---|---|
| Asset class | Listed equity |
| Impact strategy | Impact Equities and Bonds |
| Sector | Manufacturing |
| Bloomberg ticker | EW US |
| ISIN code | US28176E1082 |
| Industry group | Health Care Equipment & Services |
| Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) |
Edwards Lifesciences is a manufacturer of heart valves used to replace a patient’s existing diseased heart valve. There are three types of heart valves: aortic valves, mitral valves and tricuspid valves. Valves can be replaced via either a surgical or transcatheter procedure. The latter is a minimally invasive procedure and thus easier on a patient's body. Edwards is specialized in valves for transcatheter procedures (TAVR).
Edwards also provides products for the surgical replacement of aortic and mitral valves, as well as hemodynamic monitoring systems used to measure a patient’s cardiovascular function in a hospital setting.
Edwards was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
Investment rationale
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the world, and is the top disease in terms of health care spending in nearly every country. Cardiovascular disease is progressive in that it tends to worsen over time and often affects the structure of an individual’s heart.
Edwards valves enable less risky operations and allow patients to recover more quickly, compared to traditional surgical therapies. This means less time in the hospital and fewer costs to society.