Biotronik announced today the first European implantations of its LivIQ leadless pacemaker system as part of the BIO-LivIQ study—a prospective, multicentre study that will enrol 325 patients to evaluate device safety, pacing performance, atrioventricular (AV)-synchrony and quality-of-life outcomes.
By enabling AV synchronous pacing at rest and during exercise, LivIQ aims to better address real‑world patient needs, potentially benefitting a broader group of patients, including younger and more active individuals.
The procedures were performed by BIO-LivIQ steering committee member Christophe Garweg (University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium). Garweg recently presented research results at the 2026 Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) annual meeting (23–26 April, Chicago, USA) confirming LivIQ’s AV synchrony performance in animal models. The study demonstrated safe implantation, stable electrical performance over 12 weeks, and consistent AV synchrony with atrial tracking rates up to 140 beats per minute.
“Leadless pacemaker technology is advancing rapidly,” Garweg commented. “The expansion of implantation capabilities, driven by the emergence of new leadless devices, together with the entry of a third major player into the field, highlights that this technology is moving beyond narrowly defined indications toward broader clinical adoption. Following the demonstration of an excellent safety and efficacy profile in a preclinical model, the initiation of this first-in-human study is an important step to validate these findings in patients. Preclinical results also showed that this miniaturised pacemaker enables effective AV synchronisation. In patients who do not require atrial pacing, this may allow AV synchrony without the need for a dedicated atrial device, supporting the continued evolution of leadless pacing toward more physiologic cardiac rhythm management. With the start of patient implantations in the pivotal study, we can now begin to assess how these promising results translate into clinical practice.”
LivIQ is Biotronik’s next‑generation investigational leadless pacemaker designed to enable AV synchrony through far‑field atrial electrical sensing, as noted in a company press release.
“Delivering reliable AV synchrony with a single device has long been one of the key challenges in leadless pacing therapy,” said Andreas Hecker, chief technology officer at Biotronik. “LivIQ is designed to meet this need. Following the first study implants in Japan, we are proud to see European centres support the evaluation of our unique solution.”
