ZOLL Medical Corporation Acquires Respicardia, Inc
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ZOLL MEDICAL CORPORATION ACQUIRES RESPICARDIA, INC.
Innovative treatment for patients with respiratory and cardiovascular disease expands ZOLL’s critical-care portfolio
April 12, 2021 — CHELMSFORD, MASS. — ZOLL® Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei company that manufactures medical devices and related software solutions, today announced that it has acquired Respicardia, Inc., a provider of novel implantable neurostimulators for the treatment of moderate to severe Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). CSA is a serious condition that is often associated with heart failure, coronary artery disease, and certain cardiac arrhythmias.
Respicardia’s remedē® System is a revolutionary treatment for CSA, and is the only implantable device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat moderate to severe CSA in adult patients with reduced cardiac function.1 CSA results in shallow or disrupted breathing during sleep, and many patients with CSA also have heart disease, especially heart failure.2 Within this population, patients with CSA are at increased risk for hospitalizations and even death.3,4
“ZOLL and Respicardia both develop innovative therapies for conditions with large unmet clinical needs, and we share a deep commitment to improving patient outcomes,” said Jon Rennert, CEO of ZOLL Medical. “With this acquisition, ZOLL will combine its expertise in cardiac and respiratory care with Respicardia’s novel remedē® System to make a meaningful difference in the health and quality of life for many patients.”
CSA occurs when the brain fails to send appropriate signals to the breathing muscles that stimulate a regular breathing pattern. CSA symptoms include chronic fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment and inability to get restful sleep. CSA is distinct from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which results from a blockage of the upper airway.5
Respicardia’s remedē® System is implanted by a cardiac electrophysiologist during a minimally invasive outpatient procedure. The remedē® System delivers electrical pulses to one of the phrenic nerves, which send signals to the diaphragm, restoring a more normal breathing pattern during sleep. Respicardia estimates there are more than one million CSA patients in the U.S. alone who could benefit from the remedē® System,6 which has been shown to improve sleep, enhance well-being, and reduce daytime sleepiness, enabling better overall health.7
“Respicardia is excited to be joining the ZOLL family,” said Peter Sommerness, CEO of Respicardia. “As an innovator of safe and effective therapies that address the unmet needs of respiratory and cardiovascular patients, we see tremendous potential ahead with the support of ZOLL’s strong brand and global reach.”
ZOLL, which has been a significant investor in Respicardia for more than three years, will welcome all Respicardia employees into its global workforce, and will maintain Respicardia’s current headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
About ZOLL Medical Corporation
ZOLL Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and cardiac monitoring, circulation enhancement and CPR feedback, supersaturated oxygen therapy, data management, ventilation, and therapeutic temperature management, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, as well as lay rescuers, improve patient outcomes in critical cardiopulmonary conditions. For more information, visit www.zoll.com.
About Asahi Kasei
The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 40,000 employees around the world, the company contributes to sustainable society by providing solutions to the world’s challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Its health care operations include devices and systems for acute critical care, dialysis, therapeutic apheresis, transfusion, and manufacture of biotherapeutics, as well as pharmaceuticals and diagnostic reagents. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.com.
1 FDA PMA P160039
2 Bekfani T, Abraham WT. Europace. 2016 Aug;18(8):1123-34. doi: 10.1093/europace/euv435. Epub 2016 May 26.
3 Khayat R et al. Central sleep apnea is a predictor of cardiac readmission in hospitalized patients with systolic heart failure. J Card Fail 2012;18:534–40.
4 Khayat, R et al. Sleep disordered breathing and post-discharge mortality in patients with acute heart failure, European Heart Journal 2015;36 1463–1469.
5 Costanzo M.R., Khayat R., Ponikowski P., et al. Mechanisms and clinical consequences of untreated central sleep apnea in heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015; 65:72–8
6 Javaheri and Dempsey, Comprehensive Physiology 2013; 3:141-163; Dymedex data on file, 2014
7 Costanzo M, et al. Transvenous neurostimulation for central sleep apnea: a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 2016; 388: 974–82
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