Medtech, pharma and patient advocacy leaders reveal highlights from CSANZ meeting

The 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) brought together a dynamic mix of clinicians, patient advocacy groups, industry, academics and researchers. This year’s conference (1-4 August) covered a diverse spectrum of cardiology themes, including imaging, electrophysiology, genetics, heart failure, paediatrics, prevention, basic science, and digital health.

Industry leaders from GE Healthcare, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and Boston Scientific along with CEOs of patient advocacy groups hearts4heart and Heart Support Australia, highlighted the most resonant themes and takeaways from the meeting.

Amit Yadav, CEO of GE HealthCare, ANZ, shared with Health Industry Hub, “We are keenly interested in how hospitals and service providers are adopting new systems to improve atrial fibrillation (AF) management.

“AF is a significant health concern in Australia, affecting over 500,000 people annually and often leading to stroke. CSANZ highlighted how healthcare systems worldwide are utilising advanced cardiovascular IT and diagnostic cardiology tools for earlier detection and more accurate diagnosis.

“A critical insight was the differentiation between chronic and paroxysmal AF, where technologies like MR and CT can better support surgical and physiological treatment strategies. These technologies enhance precision and safety in pre-procedure planning, target anatomical sites for catheter ablation or atrial appendage closure, and provide non-invasive imaging and seamless data flows for post-procedure follow-ups and patient management.”

Dirk Otto, General Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim ANZ, recounted a pivotal conversation “with Natalie Packer, Nurse Practitioner from Flinders Medical Centre, about the role of nurse practitioners in treating heart failure at the CSANZ meeting last year. She emphasised the importance of better teamwork and full participation from everyone in tackling big population health issues like heart failure.

“It became evident to me that significant progress could only be made through active participation from all stakeholders. This insight led us at Boehringer to collaborate with nurse practitioners and other relevant societies to approach the PBAC.”

He added, “A year later, our efforts have come to fruition, as nurse practitioners in Australia are now able to initiate heart failure treatment with Jardiance under a shared-care model with doctors. This change will empower nurse practitioners to prescribe Jardiance as an initial or continuing therapy, ensuring enhanced quality and safety in medication management, and ultimately benefiting heart failure patients and the Australian healthcare system.”

Tanya Hall, CEO of hearts4heart, underscored the importance of patient-led initiatives. She told Health Industry Hub, “Having the opportunity to present the poster titled Policy Targets to Improve Diagnosis and Treatment of High Cholesterol Identified by People Living with High Cholesterol: Results from a Patient-led Study demonstrates CSANZ’s commitment to involving patient-led organisations as important stakeholders in improving cardiovascular health in Australia and New Zealand.

“If we want to empower patients to make informed health decisions, education and collaboration with patient-led organisations is the pathway to reaching this goal. Their efforts to foster partnerships between healthcare providers, researchers, and patients highlight the importance of a united front in the fight against heart disease.”

Tim Jackson, Business Unit Director Rhythm Management ANZ at Boston Scientific remarked “In the scientific sessions, I was particularly interested in clinician and academia’s views on the emergence of, and value of, artificial intelligence (AI) in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac patients. It’s a hot topic as both clinical and industry partners seek even more effective and efficient ways to diagnose and treat cardiac conditions.”

Dr Meredith Edwards, Country Medical Director of BMS, highlighted the company’s educational contributions, saying “We supported several educational events with key national and international experts such as Dr Antonis Pantazis from the UK who shared his experience of managing obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM).

“To elevate the patient voice, local Cardiologist Dr Vimal Patel from the Fiona Stanley Hospital was joined by the President of Cardiomyopathy Australia New Zealand (CMANZ), Leigh Bell, who highlighted how oHCM impacts the lives of patients in Australia.”

Dr Christian Verdicchio, CEO of Heart Support Australia, highlighted technological advancements, “The key themes this year centred around Digital and AI, with this new stream providing important insight into the use of AI in our clinical work and how we need to embrace it.

“Atrial fibrillation also took a key focus with a session on the latest guidelines with the key players internationally here to present, in addition to some intriguing talks on arrhythmias in the athlete and the new evidence around POTS which is now getting attention that requires specialised input.

“The multidisciplinary sessions spoke about new ways to manage and treat heart disease and heart failure using novel nurse or allied health-led clinics, alongside the use of CPET in CVD patients by international speaker Professor Ross Arena.”

CSANZ convenor Professor David Playford commented “This was the biggest ASM ever held in Australia, with more than 2,500 people at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.”

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