Why Johnson and Johnson is a Core Holding at Owls Nest Capital

Johnson and Johnson buying Abiomed

Johnson and Johnson announced today that it has acquired Abiomed, Inc., a leader in the development of implantable cardiac assist devices. The acquisition is expected to close on March 31, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

The acquisition will boost Johnson & Johnson's cardiovascular business by adding Abiomed's Miniaturized Ventricular Assist System (MVAS™) technology, which is designed for use in patients who have chronic heart failure with refractory symptoms due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction. MVAS is a percutaneous, implantable device that assists the heart during rest or exercise by pumping blood through an arterial-venous shunt. The device enables patients to return home after hospital discharge and improve their quality of life while they await heart transplantation or while they are waiting for other therapies such as cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) or cardiac assist devices with larger pumps and more durable batteries.

Abiomed's lead product is the AbioCor® 3 Freedom™ LVAD system, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in June 2019 following an extensive clinical trial program showing improved patient survival rates compared to previous generations of miniaturized ventricular assist devices (MVADs). In addition, Johnson & Johnson is buying Abiomed, a medical device company that makes implantable blood pumps. Abiomed was founded in 1980, and its first product was a heart pump used to treat patients with congestive heart failure. Their products are now used around the world for many different applications and diseases, including heart failure, arrhythmia, and right ventricular dysfunction.

This acquisition will allow Johnson & Johnson to expand into the implantable medical device market, which it currently does not serve. In addition to the United States, Abiomed has offices in Germany and Sweden. This is one of the many reasons JNJ is a core holding at Owls Nest Capital in the healthcare space.