Photo: Boston Scientific (archive)
Blackstone Life Sciences announced a $455 million collaboration with Boston Scientific on Monday, November 2, to co-fund development of the VITALYST heart-pump program for patients with cardiogenic shock following a heart attack. The agreement finances development; it is not an announcement of regulatory approval or proof that the device improves survival.
The collaboration covers Boston Scientific’s VITALYST Temporary Percutaneous Transvalvular Circulatory Support System. Blackstone described it as a next-generation miniature heart pump intended to increase cardiac output and improve blood flow from the heart to the brain and other vital organs.
The system is being developed for acute myocardial infarction cardiogenic shock, or AMI-CS. In this life-threatening emergency, a heart attack leaves the heart unable to pump enough blood to supply the brain and other organs with oxygen, according to the announcement.
Blackstone said the program aims to improve efficacy, safety and ease of use for physicians treating critically ill patients. Those are development goals. The release did not present clinical trial results demonstrating a survival benefit or establish that VITALYST is superior to an existing treatment.
This is the first time Boston Scientific and Blackstone Life Sciences will jointly fund development of a Boston Scientific product. The $455 million figure describes the collaboration’s development funding, not an acquisition price or reported product revenue. The announcement did not provide a detailed payment schedule or commercial launch date.
Nicholas Galakatos, global head of Blackstone Life Sciences, said Boston Scientific’s cardiovascular experience and the pump’s potential made the program an opportunity to support medical-device development. His comments about possible improvements in safety and efficacy describe the investment case, not a proven clinical outcome.
Blackstone Life Sciences said it manages $18 billion in assets and invests across the life cycle of companies and products. The newly announced collaboration adds funding to the VITALYST program while the system’s development and clinical evidence remain separate from the financing agreement.
JBizNews Desk | Cambridge, Massachusetts
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