Medtronic has entered a strategic agreement to distribute Merit Medical’s ViaVerte system, putting the medtech giant in contention with comparable lower-back pain treatments from Boston Scientific and Stryker.
ViaVerte is a basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) system that delivers radiofrequency (RF) ablation to destroy the basivertebral nerve within the vertebral body that is responsible for transmitting pain signals associated with chronic lower-back pain.
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Medtronic asserted that the distribution agreement will strengthen its core pain franchise. In Q3 2026, Medtronic’s most recent financial quarter, the company’s neuromodulation business line, which sits within its broader neuroscience portfolio, generated revenue of $503m, representing a year-over-year (YoY) uptick of 5.8%.
Medtronic’s neuroscience portfolio grew by 4.1% YoY to $2.56bn in Q3 2026. Medtronic CEO Thierry Pieton conceded that growth in the portfolio was “a little below” expectations for the quarter yet noted that the segment features one of Medtronic’s broadest pipelines and is expected to “begin impacting growth” in Q4.
ViaVerte recently gained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance and is expected to be commercially available later in 2026. Once marketed, the BVNA system will be in contention with Boston Scientific’s Intracept Intraosseous system, which also uses RF ablation to treat chronic vertebrogenic lower-back pain. Boston inherited the system following its $850m acquisition of Relievant Medsystems in 2023.
Stryker also has a BVNA system, known as OptaBlate BVN, which received FDA clearance in May 2025.
Medtronic and Merit’s latest agreement builds on an existing relationship between the companies. Merit currently supplies Medtronic’s Kyphon Xpander inflation syringes used in balloon kyphoplasty procedures and Kyphon KyphoFlex unipedicular steerable balloon catheter for treating vertebral compression fractures.
Commenting on the latest pair-up, Merit CEO Martha Aronson said: “This agreement underscores our mutual dedication to providing innovative therapies to support physicians and their patients.”
