Medical device company Boston Scientific and private life sciences investor Blackstone Life Sciences (BXLS) have entered a $455m co-funding collaboration for the VITALYST heart pump programme.
The deal, which is the first of its kind between the two organisations, will support the continued development of the VITALYST temporary percutaneous transvalvular circulatory support system.
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The device is a compact, next-generation pump built to restore adequate blood circulation in patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS). The condition is a potentially fatal emergency in which a weakened heart is unable to deliver sufficient oxygenated blood to the brain and other organs.
Despite therapeutic progress in recent years, AMI-CS continues to carry a high death rate. VITALYST has been conceived to fill critical gaps in the treatment of these patients, with its developers targeting gains in clinical performance, patient safety and practical usability for interventional teams.
At a technical level, the pump uses a microaxial flow architecture to drive blood forward at rates of up to more than four litres per minute, while simultaneously relieving pressure on the left ventricle. It also preserves blood supply to organs during high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions.
Central to its design is an impeller powered by magnetic force rather than a conventional purge system, which allows for a slimmer catheter shaft and is expected to cut the likelihood of damage to blood vessels.
Boston Scientific has also refined the motor and catheter assembly to hold the device more securely in position and minimise red blood cell destruction.
Blackstone Life Sciences global head Nicholas Galakatos said: “Boston Scientific has built a leading cardiovascular franchise, with deep expertise in developing and commercialising transformative technologies for patients and physicians.
“We believe the VITALYST system has the potential to improve on the efficacy and safety of currently available mechanical circulatory support technologies, and this collaboration reflects our ability to help leaders in innovation bring important new medical devices to patients.”
Blackstone Life Sciences, which currently oversees $18bn in assets under management, operates as a private investment platform. It backs life sciences companies and products at various stages of development through both capital and hands-on operational support.
Separately, Boston Scientific has disclosed positive six-month primary endpoint data from the SIMPLAAFY randomised controlled trial, which tested its WATCHMAN FLX Pro left atrial appendage closure device.
Conducted in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), the study examined whether two single-drug approaches could replace dual antiplatelet therapy after device placement.
The WATCHMAN FLX Pro is engineered to reduce stroke risk stemming from clot formation in the left atrial appendage for NVAF patients seeking an alternative to prolonged use of blood-thinning medication.
The device features the HEMOCOAT Technology, a surface treatment developed to accelerate and better regulate tissue healing at the implant site.
