Boston Scientific Acquires Cosman Medical

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced that it has acquired Cosman Medical, Inc., a privately held Burlington, Mass. manufacturer of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) systems. The Cosman Medical team and products will become part of the Boston Scientific Neuromodulation business, which offers a range of Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) systems to treat patients with chronic pain, and Deep Brain Stimulation systems* for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, and essential tremor.
 
“This acquisition is a natural extension of our current product portfolio and will help us provide physicians and patients more options to address chronic pain with non-opioid therapeutic treatments,” said Maulik Nanavaty, senior vice president and president, Neuromodulation, Boston Scientific. “The addition of the Cosman Medical product line, which is built on industry-leading technology and known for its high-quality, expands our capability to provide innovative solutions for the treatment of chronic pain.”
 
One in three Americans suffer from chronic pain and more than 100 million people are partially or totally disabled by pain. In the United States, it is the number one cause of disability in adults.1,2 RFA is a versatile outpatient procedure with a more than 50-year track record of providing relief for patients with chronic pain. It works by applying heat to small areas of nerve tissue to interrupt pain signals. SCS works by sending electrical signals to the spinal cord, masking pain signals from reaching the brain. In the continuum of care for pain, RFA is typically used prior to SCS. While many patients with chronic pain find effective relief from RFA, others progress to SCS to manage pain.
 
“We are pleased to join the Boston Scientific team and help expand access to leading treatments for chronic pain,” said Eric Cosman, Jr, PhD, scientific director, Cosman Medical. “This acquisition comes at a time when our society is recognizing the impact of relying extensively on opioids to treat pain and is looking for additional approaches. Our mutual commitment to innovation and quality will help us deliver solutions.”
 
The expansion into RFA follows the recent Boston Scientific launch of the Precision Montage MRI Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) System which offers customized relief to patients with chronic pain while also enabling safe access to full body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a 1.5 Tesla environment when conditions of use are met. MultiWave Technology enables delivery of multiple waveforms, including burst and higher rates, intended to help respond to changes in pain over time. The launch expanded the suite of Boston Scientific products that leverage the Illumina 3D algorithm, a three-dimensional, anatomy-driven computer model designed for simple point-and-click pain targeting to support physicians in treating chronic pain. In addition to the new Precision Montage MRI SCS System, the portfolio includes the Precision Spectra System, which is designed to provide broad coverage for pain with 32 contacts, and the Precision Novi System, the smallest high-capacity non-rechargeable device.
 
Boston Scientific currently expects the net impact of this transaction on adjusted earnings per share to be break-even in 2016 and accretive thereafter and more dilutive on a GAAP basis as a result of acquisition-related net charges and amortization. Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
 
*In the United States, the status of systems for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is as follows:  The rechargeable Vercise DBS System is investigational, currently being evaluated in the INTREPID Study. The Vercise PC DBS System is not available for use or sale in the United States.
 
References
¹Gaskin DJ, Richard P. The Economic Costs of Pain in the United States. In: Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2011. Appendix C. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92521/
²https://www.theacpa.org/uploads/documents/Partners%20for%20Understanding%20Pain%20Electronic%20Press%20Kit1.pdf