Gavin Newsom Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

Why Affera’s cardiac ablation technology is worth $1B to Medtronic

Affera’s Sphere-9 mapping and ablation catheter [Photo courtesy of Affera]

Affera started in 2014 with a simple goal that paid off when Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) bought the company for up to $1 billion this year.

Achieving that goal, however, took some unconventional and sometimes difficult design choices, Affera founder and CEO Doron Harlev said.

Newton, Massachusetts–based Affera’s system diagnoses, maps and treats heart arrhythmias with ablation. It’s a process that scars heart tissue to interrupt errant signals. Affera’s system uses both radiofrequency (RF) ablation — as well as the non-thermal pulsed-field ablation tech that has been generating buzz in medtech.

Complex arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia can require an electrophysiologist to perform more extensive ablation. But Harlev and his team at Affera thought a larger ablation tip could ma…

Medtronic completes Affera acquisition

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) announced today that it completed its acquisition of cardiac mapping and ablation technology developer Affera.

Newton, Massachusetts-based Affera designs and manufactures cardiac mapping and navigation systems, as well as catheter-based cardiac ablation technologies, including a differentiated, focal pulsed-field ablation platform for treating cardiac arrhythmias like AFib.

In January, Medtronic announced an agreement to acquire Affera, with CEO Geoff Martha labeling the deal as a nearly $1 billion transaction at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, adding that it includes a $250 million contingent consideration.

The company had been a strategic investor in Affera through its minority investment portfolio. Prior to the acquisition, Medtronic held a 3% stake in the company.

According to a news release, the acquisition expands Medtronic’s cardiac ablation portfolio. The portfolio will now include its first-ever cardiac m…

What is the future of cardiac ablation?

Boston Scientific in July 2021 exercised its option to acquire the remaining shares of PFA tech developer Farapulse. [Image courtesy of Boston Scientific]Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) — a non-thermal method for cardiac ablation — has the potential to positively disrupt the atrial fibrillation market.

Amid the excitement around the technology, Medtronic announced in January that it would acquire cardiac mapping and ablation technology developer Affera for nearly $1 billion. Meanwhile, Boston Scientific in February closed its $1.75 billion acquisition of Baylis Medical — the creator of advanced transseptal puncture platforms to enhance safety, efficacy and efficiency when crossing the atrial septum to deliver therapies in the left side of the heart. Months before, Boston Scientific exercised its option to acquire the remaining shares of PFA tech developer Farapulse.

Come to DeviceTalks Boston — May 10-11, 2022 — and hear from leaders at Boston Scientific, Medtronic an…