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...

Welcome to Medtech Insight

Create an account to read this article

More from Strategy

Medtronic, Philips Cement New Pact To Embed Next-Gen Tech In Monitoring Platforms

 
• By 

Under the terms of the new agreement, Philips will also begin bundling essential supplies – including ECG, noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) components, and batteries – with its Medtronic-enabled monitors.

HealthAI: ‘Established Regulations Already Exist For Regulating AI In Healthcare Safely’

 

Paul Campbell, chief regulatory officer at HealthAI, emphasizes existing regulations for AI in healthcare should not be overlooked as new regulations are developed.

Endo Tools, Fujifilm Partner to Fast-Track Endomina Rollout Across MEA Region

 
• By 

CEO Alexandre Chau told Medtech Insight that the Middle East and Africa presented the ideal mix of market potential, physician training opportunities, and regulatory readiness when the company was considering expansion markets beyond Europe and the US.

Thena Capital’s New Fund Up And Running With £1M Investment In Plexāā’s Breast Cancer Device

 

Thena Capital, the first UK-based early-stage specialist medtech firm, has made its first investment since closing its £50m fund. Medtech Insight spoke with general partner Pamela Walker Geddes to gain insight into Thena Capital’s investment strategy.

More from Business

Endo Tools, Fujifilm Partner to Fast-Track Endomina Rollout Across MEA Region

 
• By 

CEO Alexandre Chau told Medtech Insight that the Middle East and Africa presented the ideal mix of market potential, physician training opportunities, and regulatory readiness when the company was considering expansion markets beyond Europe and the US.

FDA Greenlights Expanded Use Of Boston Scientific’s Pulse Field Ablation System

 

A recent approval from the US FDA allowing Boston Scientific to broaden its labeling for its pulse field ablation system means more patients with one type of AFib will have access to a promising new treatment.

Thena Capital’s New Fund Up And Running With £1M Investment In Plexāā’s Breast Cancer Device

 

Thena Capital, the first UK-based early-stage specialist medtech firm, has made its first investment since closing its £50m fund. Medtech Insight spoke with general partner Pamela Walker Geddes to gain insight into Thena Capital’s investment strategy.