Johnson & Johnson completed the previously unheralded acquisition of privately held Laminar Inc. for $400 million upfront, with undisclosed contingent payments depending on achievement of clinical and regulatory milestones starting in 2024. The deal provides the med-tech giant a potentially game-changing entree into the lucrative left atrial appendage (LAA) market.
Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion procedures are designed to reduce the risk of thromboembolism in patients who have non-valvular atrial fibrillation, but a study presented at the 2023 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics annual meeting in San Francisco demonstrated that about half of patients continue to have LAA leaks – and potentially the risk of dangerous blood clots and stroke – a year after the procedure.
The EU approved the first drug-coated balloon for treatment of in-stent restenosis nearly a decade ago, but U.S. physicians continue to have their hands tied in treating the fairly common problem. Results from Boston Scientific Corp.’s investigational device exemption trial for its Agent paclitaxel-coated balloon presented in San Francisco at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics could finally put the tool in the hands of cardiologists. The device demonstrated a nearly 50% reduction in the risk of target lesion revascularization and target vessel myocardial infarction compared to conventional balloon angioplasty.
An analysis of real-world data pulled from Truveta’s electronic health records of 30 U.S. health care systems found that patients treated for pulmonary embolism (PE) using Boston Scientific Corp.’s Ekos endovascular system had lower rates of adverse events, particularly intracerebral hemorrhage, than those treated with Inari Medical Inc.’s Flowtriever system.
Medtronic plc got a jump on its cardiology competitors with big news ahead of the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference that starts on Oct 24 in San Francisco, with U.S. FDA approval of its Aurora extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (EV-ICD). The system delivers defibrillation and heart pacing without placing wires in the heart or vasculature. That puts it in direct competition with Boston Scientific Corp.’s Emblem S-ICD, currently the only player in the market.
Boston Scientific Corp.’s plan to acquire Relievant Medsystems Inc. is part of its ongoing effort to address chronic pain which is significantly impacting the quality of life of millions of people. Relievant’s Intracept intraosseous nerve ablation system will give Boston Scientific another tool in its armory to tackle chronic pain which already includes radiofrequency ablation (RFA) solutions and spinal cord stimulator (SCS) systems.
Cordis Corp. covered its bets a bit as it closed the acquisition of M.A. Med Alliance SA (Medalliance) announced almost a year ago. While the total payment for the company could total $1.135 billion, it could take six years for the owners of privately held Medalliance to see most of the funds.
At its Investor Day on September 20, Boston Scientific Corp. unveiled an ambitious long-range plan to become “the highest performing med-tech large-cap company” in terms of financial performance, sales growth, EPS, execution and talent retention.” That’s a notable step up from its 2021 goal of being just one of the top performers.
Before the Wall Street opening bell on Tuesday, Boston Scientific Corp. reported plans to acquire privately held Relievant Medsystems Inc. for $850 million in cash at closing plus undisclosed payments contingent on sales performance of the company’s lead product, the Intracept intraosseous nerve ablation system, over the next three years.
Limaca Medical Ltd. received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for its Precision for gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) biopsy device which the company said allows for faster, more efficient and safer collection of tumor tissue samples. The approval follows the receipt of breakthrough device designation, and the deployment of the device into the U.S. market should lead to more efficient and effective diagnosis of GI cancers.
