Abiomed Acquires PreCardia, Inc.

June 1, 2021—Abiomed announced it has acquired PreCardia, Inc., a developer of a catheter and controller that will complement Abiomed’s product portfolio to expand options for patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).

According to the company, the PreCardia system is designed to rapidly treat ADHF-related volume overload by reducing cardiac filling pressures and promoting decongestion to improve overall cardiac and renal function. The catheter-based system includes a superior vena cava (SVC) balloon that delivers programmed intermittent occlusion of the SVC.

The system has been granted Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA. Currently, it is available for investigational use only and is not approved for use outside of clinical studies. A projected timeline for commercialization will be announced later this fiscal year.

Abiomed stated that PreCardia completed enrollment of 30 patients in an FDA early feasibility study, which demonstrated acute technical success and significant reduction in cardiac filling pressures and rapid diuresis. Additionally, all patients were free of device- or procedure-related major adverse events through 30 days.

As noted in the announcement, the PreCardia system is based on an invention by Navin Kapur, MD, and Richard Karas, MD, at the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.