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Johnson & Johnson announced Aug. 20 it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire V-Wave Ltd., a privately held company that develops treatment options for heart failure.  

Under the terms of the deal, the New Brunswick-headquartered health care giant will purchase V-Wave for $600 million. The transaction also includes the potential for additional milestone payments of up to approximately $1.1 billion.  

If approved, the acquisition is expected to close before the end of 2024. After, the V-Wave team will then join Johnson & Johnson MedTech, the company’s medical devices division. 

Established in 2009, V-Wave has offices in Israel and California. 

“We are excited to welcome V-Wave to Johnson & Johnson MedTech and to take another meaningful step toward transforming the standard of care for cardiovascular disease,” Tim Schmid, executive vice president and worldwide chairman of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, said in a statement.  

Schmid added that J&J’s relationship with and investment in V-Wave dates to 2016. 

V-Wave CEO Dr. Neal Eigler added, “We are confident that Johnson & Johnson MedTech is well-positioned to ensure V-Wave’s breakthrough ideas and technology reach patients in need as quickly and effectively as possible.” 

For heart patients 

V-Wave’s cardiovascular implant technology targets heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Under the condition, a patient’s heart muscle has insufficient ability to pump blood containing oxygen and nutrients to the body. According to the National Institutes of Health, 23 million people worldwide experience heart failure. Of those, approximately 50% of cases are heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

V-Wave’s Ventura Interatrial Shunt device has the potential to be the first of its kind to market, according to Johnson & Johnson. 

The technology is designed to decrease elevated left atrial pressure seen in congestive heart failure by creating a shunt between the left and right atrium, thereby reducing cardiovascular events and heart failure hospitalizations.

In August 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the device a Breakthrough Device Designation. Then in March 2020, it received the CE Mark, recognizing that the product conforms to the standards of the European Medical Device Directive.  

Take a look at how it works in this video illustration: 

Acquisition spree

Johnson & Johnson has made several acquisitions in recent months, including: 

• Yellow Jersey Therapeutics for $1.25 billion in July 
• Proteologix Inc. for $850 million in June 
• Shockwave Medical for $13.1 billion in May