Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.US) Experimental Shockwave Javelin Catheter Technology Achieves 94% Success Rate, Potentially Expanding the Complex Coronary Artery Surgery Market

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.US) announced positive 30-day results on Sunday from a clinical trial of its experimental Shockwave Javelin catheter. The catheter is used to treat severely narrowed coronary arteries that are difficult for conventional devices to reach. The FORWARD CAD study enrolled 158 patients whose arteries supplying blood to the heart were blocked by hardened calcified plaque. The device achieved a 93.6% technical success rate, meaning it successfully reached and crossed the target blocked lesion without severe complications seen on final imaging. At 30 days, 93.4% of patients were free from major cardiovascular events, including cardiac death, heart attack, or procedures to restore blood flow in the treated artery. Severe complications detected by imaging occurred in 1.3% of patients. For investors, these results may support Johnson & Johnson's expansion of its cardiovascular device portfolio into more complex coronary artery procedures. However, the catheter remains an investigational device in the United States, and the results do not establish its superiority over existing therapies. The Shockwave Javelin catheter uses ultrasonic pressure waves to fracture hardened calcified deposits, potentially allowing doctors to prepare severely narrowed arteries for stent placement. Stents are small mesh tubes used to keep arteries open. The study was conducted at 28 centers in the United States and the United Kingdom, enrolling patients with severe arterial blockages. About 96% of treated lesions were moderately or severely calcified, and 20% involved completely occluded arteries. The results were presented at the 2026 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference in San Diego. The study was a single-arm study lacking a control group, limiting conclusions about the device's relative effectiveness.