ZOLL Medical Corporation reported it acquired Respicardia, Inc., a provider of novel implantable neurostimulators for the treatment of moderate to severe Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), a serious condition that is often associated with heart failure, coronary artery disease, and certain cardiac arrhythmias.
Respicardia’s remedē System is the only implantable device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat moderate to severe CSA in adult patients with reduced cardiac function. CSA results in shallow or disrupted breathing during sleep, and many patients with CSA also have heart disease, especially heart failure. Within this population, patients with CSA are at increased risk for hospitalizations and death.
CSA occurs when the brain fails to send appropriate signals to the breathing muscles that stimulate a regular breathing pattern. CSA symptoms include chronic fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment and inability to get restful sleep. CSA is distinct from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which results from a blockage of the upper airway.
Respicardia’s remedē System is implanted by a cardiac electrophysiologist during a minimally invasive outpatient procedure. The remedē System delivers electrical pulses to one of the phrenic nerves, which send signals to the diaphragm, restoring a more normal breathing pattern during sleep. Respicardia estimates there are more than one million CSA patients in the U.S. alone who could benefit from the system, which has been shown to improve sleep, enhance well-being, and reduce daytime sleepiness, enabling better overall health.
ZOLL, which has been a significant investor in Respicardia for more than three years, will welcome all Respicardia employees into its global workforce, and will maintain Respicardia’s current headquarters in Minnetonka, MN.
