Johnson & Johnson MedTech buys Laminar for USD 400 million

New Brunswick: Johnson & Johnson MedTech has announced the completion of the acquisition of Laminar, Inc., a privately-held medical device company focused on eliminating the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Johnson & Johnson MedTech acquired Laminar for an upfront payment of $400 million, subject to customary adjustments, with additional potential clinical and regulatory milestone payments in 2024 and beyond.

Laminar joins Johnson & Johnson MedTech as part of Biosense Webster, Inc.. Today, approximately 38 million patients around the world are living with AFib, which causes them to be more than five times as likely to have a stroke. The LAA is a small pouch in the left atrium of the heart and can be a source of clots that can enter the blood stream, potentially causing a stroke. The LAA is a major contributor to thromboembolic stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Unlike current commercial catheter-based procedure devices that use plugs to occlude the LAA, Laminar's novel approach uses rotational motion to eliminate the LAA.

Laminar recently received FDA approval for the U.S. pivotal study, which will begin enrollment in early 2024. LAA closure is an FDA-approved therapy for reducing the risk of thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation patients who are recommended for chronic oral anticoagulation therapy but have an appropriate rationale to seek a non-pharmacologic alternative to chronic oral anticoagulants. This is particularly important for the nearly 40% of AFib patients who cannot tolerate long-term blood thinners.

“For the millions of people living with AFib, stroke risk is a major concern. The team at Laminar is driven by our vision to develop and deliver an innovative solution to help patients live without the fear of stroke, or the need for long-term use of blood thinners,” said Randy Lashinski, President & CEO, Laminar. “We are looking forward to advancing this vision as part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech."

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