Thoratec Corporation said, in a press release on 1 July, that it has acquired the DuraHeart II ventricular assist system from Terumo for an upfront cash payment of US$13 million and potential future milestone payments, based on regulatory approvals and product sales, of up to US$43.5 million.
As part of the agreement, a team of Terumo employees will transition to Thoratec and will continue to be based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Additionally, Thoratec and Terumo have entered into a distribution partnership, in which Terumo will commercialise DuraHeart II in Japan and potentially other parts of Asia, according to the press release.
Thoratec intends to apply its resources and expertise in mechanical circulatory support in order to advance the DuraHeart II programme through product development and clinical trials, it was said in the release.
Thoratec anticipates a first-in-human implant of the DuraHeart-II pump in 2016 to be followed by clinical trials in the USA and other territories. Following clinical trials, the distribution partnership between Thoratec and Terumo should optimise patient access to the DuraHeart-II technology on a worldwide basis.
“DuraHeart II brings a differentiated approach to mechanical circulatory support to Thoratec’s R&D portfolio and will be an integral component of our product development strategy, along with continued evolution of the HeartMate II system, next-generation pump platforms including HeartMate III and HeartMate PHP, which are expected to begin pivotal CE mark trials in the second half of 2013, and breakthrough cross-platform technologies such as our fully implantable system.”
