1. Medtech Insight
  2. >>Business
  3. >>Strategy

AorTech's Staying Power

With its flagship product, a polyurethane-based heart valve, not yet in human trials, AorTech is in-licensing revenue-producing products, both in its core area of heart valves and in non-core critical care as well. The company hopes the strategy will give it the wherewithal to withstand a difficult financing environment and the doldrums of development.

Finding ways to withstand the resource drain of developing an initial product is a typical problem for medical device start-ups. In the case of AorTech International PLC , the issue is magnified by the unusually long and expensive development cycle for heart-valve devices. For most of the last decade, the Scottish company has been developing a polyurethane-based valve that it believes combines the best attributes of tissue and mechanical valves. But it is competing in a static market dominated by a few large companies including St. Jude Medical Inc. , Medtronic Inc. , and Edwards Lifesciences Corp. To make headway against its entrenched competitors, it must at a minimum show a clear, convincing, and long-term clinical benefit.

The ten-year-old company has taken a number of steps to ensure that it has the staying power for the long...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Medtech Insight for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Strategy

More from Business

BD Sees $90M Tariff Hit In Q4; 2026 Impact Reduced To $275M

 
• By Shubham Singh

BD raised its adjusted earnings per share guidance midpoint by $0.18 to a range of $14.30 to $14.45, representing growth of about 9.4% at the midpoint – an increase of approximately 1.4% over prior guidance.

Roche Eyes 2026 FDA Nod After CE Mark For pTau181 Test To Boost Global Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

 
• By Shubham Singh

The Elecsys pTau181 test, which requires only a blood sample, provides a less invasive alternative to cerebral spinal fluid procedures. A negative result could rule out Alzheimer’s and help patients avoid further testing with CSF or PET scans.

FTC Blocks Edwards Lifesciences’ Merger With JenaValve

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

The FTC is suing to block Edwards Lifesciences' purchase of JenaValve, citing concerns that it would reduce competition and innovation in the heart valve market and negatively impact patient access to vital treatments for aortic regurgitation. Edwards disagrees with the decision.