Boston Scientific acquires startup behind new FDA-cleared embolization technology

Boston Scientific has announced its acquisition of Obsidio, a South Carolina-based medical device company that developed a new hydrogel material for the embolization of blood vessels. Specific financial details of the deal have not been shared with the public.

Obsidio’s Gel Embolic Material technology, or GEL for short, is delivered through a catheter and immediately conforms to the patient’s vasculature, forming a barrier. It was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July.

Biomedical engineer Ehsan Jabbarzadeh, PhD, a professor with the University of South Carolina, and interventional radiologist Rahmi Oklu, MD, PhD, a professor with the Mayo Clinic campus in Phoenix, founded Obsidio in 2019. In July 2021, the company secured a research grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute worth $2.1 million to develop and study the material that would go on to be known as GEL.

“Today, there is a major gap in the standard of care, including high rebleeding rates, non-target embolization, unpredictable economics, and most importantly, dependence on patients' ability to clot,” Jabbarzadeh said in a statement at the time. “Our technology provides a significant opportunity to advance the embolization industry and improve patient outcomes.”