Medtronic has acquired Invatec, a developer of medical devices for the interventional treatment of cardiovascular disease, to expand its product offering. Medtronic intends to build on Invatec’s legacy of innovation through collaboration to improve and expand treatment options for patients with cardiovascular disease.
The acquisition includes two affiliated companies: Fogazzi, which provides polymer technology to Invatec and Krauth Cardio-Vascular, which has successfully grown Invatec’s market position in Germany.
Medtronic said that the newly added business will be led by general manager, Ross Allen, a 19-year veteran of Medtronic with leadership experience across four divisions, most recently as vice president of finance for the CardioVascular business.
Invatec’s founders will stay with the new business in senior leadership positions: Andrea Venturelli as vice president of research and development and chief technology officer; and Stefan Widensohler as vice president of global sales.
Medtronic plans to maintain Invatec’s European operations to stay close to the existing core customer base in Europe, the source of many collaborative innovations that have advanced the treatment of cardiovascular disease. To ensure the continuity of these operations, Medtronic purchased Invatec facilities in Brescia, Italy (near Milan) and the lease on an existing facility in Frauenfeld, Switzerland (near Zurich) has been extended.
Invatec claimed that for below-the-knee disease, it was the first company to make and market a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty balloon, self-expanding stent, balloon-expandable stent and guidewire specifically designed for that indication.
For carotid artery disease, Invatec designed and commercialized a stent to provide ease of delivery and adequate coverage of the lesion. Products also include a proximal and distal embolic protection device, providing a complete solution for the treatment of atherosclerosis in the carotid artery. In addition, Invatec led the introduction of a new treatment platform with its four drug-eluting balloons, covering the coronaries and lower-extremity vessels.
Invatec said that of all the therapies, only devices for the treatment of below-the-knee disease are currently approved for use in the US.
Scott Ward, president of the cardiovascular business and senior vice president at Medtronic, said: “With this acquisition, Medtronic is enhancing its international presence by further developing our global business with additions to our European operations. Medtronic’s acquisition of Invatec will accelerate the growth of our CardioVascular business, adding important new coronary and peripheral vascular products to our current offering.”