Originally Published MDDI December
2004
NEWSTRENDS
Agreement Strengthens St. Jude’s Cardiology Program
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To expand its atrial fibrillation division, St. Jude Medical Inc. (St.
Paul, MN) has purchased Endocardial Solutions Inc. (ESI; St. Paul, MN)
for about $273 million. The union of the two companies will strengthen their
atrial fibrillation programs. It will also provide improved resources for patients
with the cardiovascular disease. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular heart
rhythm that affects more than 6 million people worldwide.
ESI manufactures the EnSite system, a computer program that helps physicians
treat people with heart arrhythmias. ESI will join St. Jude Medical’s AF
division. ESI hopes to boost the clinical use of its technology. The technology
is used to direct catheters through the heart. The system features a three-dimensional
display of the vital organ’s chambers.
The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2004. In 2003, St.
Jude Medical also acquired Epicor Medical Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) and Irvine
Biomedical Inc. (Irvine, CA) for its AF division.
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Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry
