Boston Scientific agrees to acquire AFib ablation company
Boston Scientific has agreed to acquire Cortex, a healthcare technology company launched by the venture capital firm Ajax Health in 2023, to expand its electrophysiology (EP) portfolio. Financial terms of the deal have not been announced.
Cortex is focused on the development of next-generation atrial fibrillation (AFib) ablation devices, including diagnostic and pulsed field ablation (PFA) catheters. The company got off to a hot start, immediately raising $90 million from investors once it hit the market, and has been gathering more data on the effectiveness of its electrographic flow mapping technology, including the OptiMap System. An early look at that technology was published in August in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.[1]
“We believe the addition of the Cortex technology complements our EP portfolio with a differentiated cardiac mapping offering to assist with complex AFib cases,” Nick Spadea-Anello, Boston Scientific’s global president of electrophysiology, said in a statement. “The OptiMap System has demonstrated it can help physicians devise a targeted ablation strategy for complex cases, which can lead to improved procedural efficiency and outcomes in patients with challenging atrial arrhythmias. We look forward to advancing this technology and driving future clinical evidence generation with the goal of making it accessible to physicians and patients globally in the years ahead.”
The Cortex OptiMap EP mapping system aims to improve atrial fibrillation ablation outcomes using its Electrographic Flow Mapping technique. This offers a new way to pin-point the arrhythmia source and flow of electrical conduction.
“Cortex was established to provide physicians with a more intelligent and precise solution for patients with AF,” added Duke Rohlen, Cortex CEO. “Joining Boston Scientific will allow us to further develop this technology, which we believe has the ability to transform the treatment of AF for patients around the world.”
Boston Scientific hopes to finalize its acquisition of Cortex sometime in the first half of 2025.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.