Nihon Kohden Acquires Defibtech

Nihon Kohden Corporation, a Tokyo, Japan-based medical device company, will acquire Defibtech LLC, a designer and manufacturer of automated external defibrillators (AED) and other resuscitation equipment. Defibtech is based in Guilford, Conn.

The companies hope that the merger will afford them a much stronger share in the global AED market. Defibtech and Nihon Kohden have placed more than 360,000 AEDs internationally and expect that number to increase significantly. Defibtech also intends to accelerate its development of products targeting a number of other resuscitation markets.

“Defibtech will not only continue expanding its AED product lineup, but also plans to develop and market other resuscitation solutions,” said Defibtech CEO Glenn W. Laub, M.D. “Over the past decade, having deployed more than 160,000 AEDs worldwide, we are a steadily growing force in the resuscitation market. We want to continue that growth.”

Defibtech will continue to operate independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of Delaware-based Resuscitation Solution Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Nihon Kohden, said Gintaras Vaisnys, Defibtech’s president. “This is a great opportunity for Defibtech and Nihon Kohden to complement their strengths,” he said. “We are excited about a number of new product development and market opportunities that may result from this relationship, which will help Defibtech grow aggressively in the coming years.” Defibtech’s products will continue to bear Defibtech name and be designed, manufactured and supported by Defibtech personnel.

For Nihon Kohden, expanding its business in the U.S. market is a strategic goal. Currently, Nihon Kohden operates in the United States primarily through its neurology and patient monitoring businesses. Through the acquisition of Defibtech, Nihon Kohden will enter the U.S. resuscitation market, the largest in the world.

The United States is also a center of pioneering research in resuscitation science, and the resulting knowledge strongly influences worldwide trends in this field. Nihon Kohden’s acquisition of Defibtech establishes a U.S. development base for resuscitation solutions, enabling the integrated organizations to identify market trends in early stages, strengthen collaboration with leading research and development institutes, and develop new resuscitation technology.

Nihon Kohden’s U.S. offices are located in Foothill Ranch, Calif.