Leading Heart Transplant Centers Convene in Houston for Picard Medical/ SynCardia’s Total Artificial Heart Surgical Training

Rhea-AI Summary

Picard Medical (NYSE American: PMI) will host an invitation-only SynCardia Total Artificial Heart Training Village at Houston Methodist on February 24, 2026. The program gathers leading cardiac surgeons and multidisciplinary teams for hands-on surgical training, curriculum on patient selection, implantation techniques, and perioperative best practices.

The event is led by Andre Simon, M.D., vice president of clinical affairs, and aims to strengthen regional clinical capabilities and expand access to total artificial heart therapy across Houston and other U.S. markets.

News Market Reaction – PMI

-7.14%

6 alerts

-7.14% News Effect

-$7M Valuation Impact

$93M Market Cap

0.1x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, PMI declined 7.14%, reflecting a notable negative market reaction. Our momentum scanner triggered 6 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $7M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $93M at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Announcement date: February 23, 2026 Training date: February 24, 2026

2 metrics

Announcement date February 23, 2026 Press release date for Houston training initiative

Training date February 24, 2026 Date of SynCardia Total Artificial Heart Training Village at Houston Methodist

Market Reality Check

Price: $1.14 Vol: Volume 344,950 is light, ...

low vol

$1.14 Last Close

Volume Volume 344,950 is light, with relative volume at 0.17x versus a 20-day average of 1,980,645 shares. low

Technical Shares at $1.26 are trading below the 200-day moving average of $2.78 and sit far under the $13.68 52-week high, though well above the $0.15 52-week low.

Peers on Argus

PMI is down 5.26% while key medical device peers show mixed, generally modest mo...

PMI is down 5.26% while key medical device peers show mixed, generally modest moves (e.g., CTKB up 3.02%, LAB down 1.74%, others flat), and no peers appear in the momentum scanner, pointing to a stock-specific move.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 12 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 12	Clinical milestone update	Positive	-1.2%	UCSF reports successful transplant after SynCardia Total Artificial Heart support.
Feb 10	Conference presentation	Positive	-2.9%	Announcement of Emperor TAH data presentation at European MCS summit.
Jan 29	Investor education webinar	Positive	+0.0%	Webinar on Emperor fully implantable TAH and preclinical performance data.
Jan 13	Podcast launch	Positive	+4.8%	Cruxx of MedTech podcast series spotlighting SynCardia STAH and Emperor.
Jan 12	Development collaboration	Positive	-1.2%	Hydrix collaboration to advance the Emperor next‑generation total artificial heart.

Pattern Detected

Recent company news—largely positive clinical, collaboration, and visibility updates—has often been met with flat or negative next-day price reactions, indicating a pattern of weak alignment between news tone and short-term trading.

Recent Company History

Over the past months, PMI has focused on building visibility and clinical validation for the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart and the next‑generation Emperor system. Updates include a successful bridge‑to‑transplant case at UCSF (Feb 12, 2026), multiple conference and webinar presentations on the Emperor device, a MedTech podcast launch, and a development collaboration with Hydrix announced on Jan 5, 2026. Today’s Houston training initiative continues this theme of expanding clinical adoption and education at leading centers.

Market Pulse Summary

The stock moved -7.1% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite positive opera...

Analysis

The stock moved -7.1% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite positive operational news fits a pattern where upbeat clinical or visibility updates have not consistently supported the share price, with several recent announcements followed by flat or negative moves. The Houston training event underscores strategic efforts to deepen adoption at major heart centers, but recent proxy and registration filings detailing increased authorized shares and potential dilution may keep attention on capital structure risk, contributing to selling pressure.

Key Terms

total artificial heart, mechanical circulatory support, perioperative management, biventricular heart failure

4 terms

total artificial heart medical

"growing need for SynCardia Total Artificial Heart technology."

A total artificial heart is a surgically implanted mechanical device that replaces the heart’s two main pumping chambers and takes over circulation, acting like a continuous pump that keeps blood moving through the body. Investors care because it is a high-cost, high-stakes medical product whose commercial success depends on clinical trial results, regulatory approvals, hospital adoption, reimbursement rules and long-term patient outcomes — factors that drive revenue potential and risk.

mechanical circulatory support medical

"experience in mechanical circulatory support and total artificial heart implantation."

Mechanical circulatory support are medical devices that help or take over the heart’s job of moving blood around the body, ranging from temporary external pumps to implanted pumps that assist one or both sides of the heart. For investors, these devices matter because their use drives sales, regulatory scrutiny, reimbursement decisions and long‑term healthcare costs; think of them as a backup engine for a failing heart whose adoption and outcomes influence a company’s market opportunity and risk profile.

perioperative management medical

"collaborative discussions on surgical strategy, perioperative management, and long-term support"

Perioperative management is the coordinated planning and care given before, during and after a surgical procedure, covering preparation, anesthesia and pain control, infection prevention, monitoring, and recovery support. For investors, it matters because effective perioperative practices shorten hospital stays, reduce complications and costs, and influence demand for surgical devices, drugs and software—similar to a pit crew that keeps a race car fast and safe, improving financial performance and lowering clinical risk.

biventricular heart failure medical

"patients with end stage biventricular heart failure."

Biventricular heart failure is a condition where both the right and left sides of the heart are weakened and cannot pump blood effectively, like a two-pump system losing power on both ends. It matters to investors because it increases demand for treatments, medical devices, hospital care and long-term therapies, can drive clinical-trial activity and regulatory decisions, and may affect costs and revenue for companies in cardiovascular drugs, devices and healthcare services.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

• Invitation-only program at Houston Methodist, one of the top heart transplant centers in the U.S., highlights the growing need for SynCardia Total Artificial Heart technology. 
  
• Training initiative at Houston Methodist is expected to enable expanded adoption of the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart through further education.
  
  

TUCSON, Ariz., Feb. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Picard Medical, Inc. (NYSE American: PMI) (“Picard” or the “Company”), parent company of SynCardia Systems LLC, maker of the world’s first total artificial heart approved by both the U.S. FDA and Health Canada, today announced that it will host an exclusive, invitation-only “SynCardia Total Artificial Heart Training Village” at Houston Methodist Hospital on Tuesday, February 24^th, 2026.

The “Training Village” will bring together leading cardiac surgeons and multidisciplinary clinical teams from Houston Methodist Hospital, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, and Texas Children’s Hospital for an advanced program focused on implantation techniques, patient selection, and clinical best practices for the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart.

The program will be led by Andre Simon, M.D., Vice President of Clinical Affairs at SynCardia, together with the SynCardia clinical team. Dr. Simon is an internationally recognized cardiac surgeon with extensive experience in mechanical circulatory support and total artificial heart implantation. The curriculum will combine focused classroom instruction with hands on surgical training to reinforce procedural consistency, clinical confidence, and optimal patient outcomes.

Andre Simon, M.D., commented, “Hands on, peer-to-peer surgical education is essential as total artificial heart therapy expands. Bringing experienced teams together in a focused setting strengthens best practices and ultimately improves care for patients facing advanced heart failure.”

Participants will also engage in collaborative discussions on surgical strategy, perioperative management, and long-term support, fostering knowledge sharing across Houston’s leading heart centers and reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing care for patients with end stage biventricular heart failure.

Patrick NJ Schnegelsberg, Chief Executive Officer of Picard Medical, added, “This initiative is part of our broader strategy to develop centers of excellence across key regions in the United States. By strengthening clinical capabilities and collaboration, we aim to expand patient access to total artificial heart therapy and support the continued growth of advanced heart failure programs.”

The Houston program reflects the Company’s ongoing commitment to clinical education, with additional training initiatives planned in key markets across the United States. The Houston region represents one of the largest advanced heart failure markets in the country, and expanding collaboration among high-volume transplant and mechanical circulatory support programs supports broader regional adoption of total artificial heart therapy. This approach aligns with Picard’s strategy to increase implant volumes and expand access at leading heart centers nationwide.

About Houston Methodist Hospital

Houston Methodist Hospital, located in the Texas Medical Center, is a nationally recognized academic medical center known for excellence in cardiovascular care, transplantation, and advanced surgical innovation.

About Participating Houston Heart Centers

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, and Texas Children’s Hospital are leading institutions within the Texas Medical Center, nationally recognized for cardiovascular medicine, transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and complex heart care across adult and pediatric populations.

About Picard Medical and SynCardia

Picard Medical, Inc. is the parent company of SynCardia Systems, LLC (“SynCardia”), the Tucson, Arizona–based leader with the only commercially available total artificial heart technology for patients with end-stage heart failure. SynCardia develops, manufactures, and commercializes the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart (“STAH”), an implantable system that assumes the full functions of a failing or failed human heart. It is the first artificial heart approved by both the FDA and Health Canada, and it remains the only commercially available artificial heart in the United States and Canada. With more than 2,100 implants performed at hospitals across 27 countries, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is the most widely used and extensively studied artificial heart in the world.

For additional information about Picard Medical, please visit www.picardmedical.com or review the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Contact:

Investors
Eric Ribner
Managing Director
LifeSci Advisors LLC
eric@lifesciadvisors.com

Picard Medical, Inc./SynCardia Systems, LLC
IR@picardmedical.com

General/Media
Brittany Lanza
blanza@syncardia.com

FAQ

What is the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart Training Village hosted by Picard Medical (PMI) on February 24, 2026?

It is an invitation-only hands-on surgical training program for total artificial heart implantation led by SynCardia clinical leaders. According to Picard Medical, the program combines classroom instruction and operative practice with peer-to-peer discussion to reinforce implantation techniques and patient selection.

Which hospitals and clinical teams will participate in the PMI training event in Houston on February 24, 2026?

Participants include teams from Houston Methodist, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, and Texas Children’s Hospital. According to Picard Medical, these high-volume transplant centers will collaborate on surgical strategy and perioperative management.

Who is leading the SynCardia training program at Houston Methodist and what is their role?

The program is led by Andre Simon, M.D., vice president of clinical affairs at SynCardia, an experienced cardiac surgeon. According to Picard Medical, Dr. Simon and the SynCardia clinical team will direct both didactic and hands-on surgical sessions.

What are the main objectives of Picard Medical’s PMI training village for SynCardia Total Artificial Heart?

The objectives are to standardize implantation techniques, improve clinical confidence, and expand patient access to total artificial heart therapy. According to Picard Medical, the initiative aims to develop regional centers of excellence and increase implant volumes at leading heart centers.

Will Picard Medical (PMI) hold additional SynCardia training initiatives beyond the February 24, 2026 Houston event?

Yes. Picard Medical plans further training initiatives in key U.S. markets to support broader adoption of the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart. According to Picard Medical, the Houston program is part of a broader strategy to expand clinical education and regional collaboration.