Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha has emphasised the strong interest levels and market potential for its Altaviva device for urge urinary incontinence (UUI) treatment.
Martha spoke during a wide-ranging presentation outlining the company’s competencies and ongoing focuses at this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.
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Receiving US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in September 2025, Altaviva is an implantable tibial nerve stimulation (ITNS) that delivers neuromodulation via a small device positioned above the tibial nerve to provide treatment for patients suffering from UUI. According to Martha, around 16 million patients in the US suffer from the condition. Of this patient population, Martha claimed that five million are actively seeking treatment.
“Roughly a 1% penetration of this five million patient pool represents a $1bn revenue opportunity for the company,” Martha said.
Martha went on to highlight that Medtronic is focused on driving Altavita’s adoption with education and awareness initiatives and revealed that Altaviva has seen “significant engagement” and interest since receiving FDA approval.
“Just four months post approval, over 500 physicians have been trained [on applying Altavita],” Martha said.
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By GlobalDataNoting that the training takes place in-person, opposed to virtually, Martha added that this training requires a significant time commitment – a factor that reflects the interest levels towards Altaviva and represents a “good leading indicator” towards the device’s future potential.
“We’re also planning to launch a direct to consumer awareness initiative to reach the five million patients I mentioned, as well as the balance of the 16 million who just aren’t quite comfortable in seeking care for UUI,” Martha added. “But this will come. The stigma is breaking down.”
On 12 January, Boston Scientific announced plans to acquire Valencia Technologies. The deal, for which the terms were not publicly disclosed, will imbue Boston with the California-based company’s eCoin ITNS system for UUI treatment, thereby establishing Boston as a competitor to Medtronic in this space.
Martha also used his presentation at the J.P. Morgan conference to highlight that several of the key markets that Medtronic targets, including pulsed-field ablation (PFA) and renal denervation, have the potential to become multi-billion-dollar opportunities in the near future.
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