J&J to Buy V-Wave for US$1.7 Billion

Johnson & Johnson will acquire V-Wave for US$1.7 billion, with U$600 million upfront and additional milestone payments. The deal, targeting the heart failure device market, aligns with J&J's growth strategy amid upcoming biosimilar competition for its psoriasis drug Stelara. This follows J&J's US$13.1 billion Shockwave Medical acquisition, reinforcing its expansion in cardiovascular treatments, reports Reuters.

Heart failure significantly impacts global health, leading to reduced quality of life, frequent hospitalizations, rising healthcare costs, and high premature death rates. V-Wave's cardiovascular implant technology is designed to address heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), states the company’s press release.

“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. We recognize the importance of identifying more diverse and effective treatments for heart failure, and our recent track record demonstrates our focus on accelerating our impact on the most urgent and pressing unmet needs,” said  Tim Schmid, Executive Vice President and Worldwide Chairman, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, via the company’s press  release. 

The V-Wave device, designed for treating heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions, is expected to address a condition affecting 800,000 patients annually. Currently, the device is not approved for use in the United States.