Medtronic has entered a strategic partnership with CathWorks, an Israeli company that aims to transform how coronary artery disease (CAD) is diagnosed and treated. Medtronic will invest up to $75 million and co-promote CathWorks’ FFRangio system in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, where it’s currently available.
 
In a separate agreement, Medtronic was given the option to acquire CathWorks once certain undisclosed milestones are met. CathWorks will also have the option to compel Medtronic to acquire the firm should Medtronic choose not to exercise the choice to acquire. The acquisition option agreement will expire in July 2027, with estimated acquisition of up to $585 million. Medtronic has held minority investment in CathWorks since 2018.
 
Fraction flow reserve (FFR) evaluates the physiologic effects of coronary artery stenosis to help make decisions when managing CAD patients. Traditional FFR requires invasive measurements using wires and stimulation with hyperemic agents, but the FFrangio system leverages AI and advanced computational science to gather quick and reliable FFR values from routing angiograms.
 
“Data and AI-enabled technologies have been shown to drive improved workflow and patient outcomes across the healthcare ecosystem. In cardiology specifically, these new advances in technology provide clinicians with the opportunity to gain additional information to improve and evolve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with CAD,” Jason Weidman, senior VP and president of Medtronic’s Coronary & Renal Denervation business, told the press. “We are excited to partner with CathWorks to offer the FFRangio system to our customers. We believe strongly in the potential of the technology and are committed to strengthening our relationship with CathWorks to provide new, innovative technologies and solutions from diagnosis to treatment.”
 
According to clinical data published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC): Cardiovascular Interventions, FFRangio showed diagnostic accuracy of 93%, sensitivity of 91%, and specificity of 94%.
 
“CathWorks has been looking for the right partner to help us expand the reach of the FFRangio system globally,” said Ramin Mousavi, president and CEO of CathWorks. “Medtronic not only brings the strength of its commercial team to CathWorks, but a reputation of investing and defining new opportunities to revolutionize care. I am excited about the possibilities ahead as we partner with Medtronic to expand the use of our technology to the U.S., Japan and Europe.”