Angioplasty.Org
Most Popular Angioplasty Web Site
   
supported by Volcano Corporation
St. Jude Medical to Acquire LightLab Imaging
Acquisition of Optical Coherence Tomography technology provides St. Jude Medical with product platform to compete in and potentially expand $500 million coronary imaging market

May 19, 2010 -- Westford, Mass -- St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ), a global medical device company, and LightLab Imaging, Inc. today announced a definitive agreement under which St. Jude Medical will acquire LightLab, a subsidiary of Goodman Co., Ltd. (JASDAQ: 7535) for approximately $90 million in cash.

LightLab is the pioneer and leader in the development of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a high resolution diagnostic coronary imaging technology which aids physicians in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Earlier this month LightLab received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the first OCT products to be available in the United States. OCT diagnostic imaging technology has been shown to provide image resolution 10 times greater than intravascular ultrasound imaging systems (IVUS) and 20 times faster image capture.

During the second half of 2010, St. Jude Medical expects the OCT platform to contribute an additional $20 million in revenue to its cardiovascular business. The OCT market is expected to grow at a double-digit compounded annual rate over the next five years and is expected to capture IVUS market share as well as expand the market for coronary imaging. The IVUS market is estimated to be $500 million for 2010, and is growing 10 to 15 percent annually. OCT coronary imaging is expected to grow at an even faster rate within this market.

Upon closing, St. Jude Medical will be the first company to offer a portfolio that includes both OCT and Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) technology. No other OCT systems are currently available for coronary imaging. This leading combination will provide physicians with comprehensive lesion assessment information, ranging from the anatomical images of OCT to the physiological data of FFR. St. Jude Medical acquired its FFR measurement technology platform through the acquisition of Radi Medical Systems AB in 2008. The LightLab business will become part of the St. Jude Medical Cardiovascular Division.

The FDA cleared LightLab's C7-XR(TM) Imaging System and companion C7 Dragonfly(TM) Imaging Catheter in early May. This intravascular imaging technology, comprising the console used in the hospital lab and the catheter inserted into the vessel, allows the clinician to readily see and measure important vessel characteristics otherwise invisible or difficult to observe with older imaging technology. This next generation OCT system eliminates the need for temporary vessel occlusion that was required by earlier generation OCT systems.

LightLab now has products approved in 40 countries, including the only OCT system cleared for use by regulatory bodies in the U.S., Europe and Japan. The imaging technology has already been used by leading hospitals worldwide to perform high resolution imaging of vessel structure in thousands of coronary interventions. The next generation C7-XR Imaging System and companion C7 Dragonfly Imaging Catheter is also approved in Europe and is currently pending regulatory clearance in Japan.

"We are pleased to add this new growth platform to our cardiovascular business, especially in conjunction with our FFR platform, and we are excited by the many opportunities this acquisition creates for St. Jude Medical and LightLab, physician customers and their patients," said Daniel J. Starks, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude Medical. "We welcome LightLab and its employees to St. Jude Medical."

"We are excited to join with a partner who shares our vision of improving patient outcomes and reducing health care costs through solutions which enable physicians to make earlier and more accurate treatment decisions," said David Kolstad, President and Chief Executive Officer of LightLab. "We believe St. Jude Medical's U.S. and international footprint, along with its existing FFR measurement technology, will accelerate growth for our industry-leading OCT technology. We look forward to joining the St. Jude Medical team."

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Except for a nonrecurring charge to be recorded at the time of closing, this acquisition does not change St. Jude Medical's outlook for 2010 consolidated earnings per share. In connection with the transaction, Bank of America Merrill Lynch is acting as financial advisor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as legal advisor to St. Jude Medical. Brown Brothers Harriman is acting as financial advisor to LightLab and Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP as legal counsel. Kitahama Partners, LLC is acting as legal counsel to Goodman Co., Ltd.

About LightLab
LightLab Imaging, Inc., based in Westford MA, is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) for coronary imaging applications. LightLab's OCT systems and imaging catheters are cleared for sale in 40 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North and South America. The company was founded in 1998 by the inventors of OCT, and has exclusive license to a broad range of OCT technologies and applications from MIT and other entities. The LightLab mission is to develop and distribute imaging technologies that improve patients' wellbeing, enhance diagnostic medicine, improve outcomes, and reduce healthcare expenditures. With the ability to resolve real-time images to 15 micrometers, the LightLab Imaging OCT Imaging Systems offer physicians more precise information than ever before. For more information, visit www.lightlabimaging.com.

About St. Jude Medical
St. Jude Medical develops medical technology and services that focus on putting more control into the hands of those who treat cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients worldwide. The company is dedicated to advancing the practice of medicine by reducing risk wherever possible and contributing to successful outcomes for every patient. St. Jude Medical is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. and has four major focus areas that include: cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular and neuromodulation. For more information, please visit sjm.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include the expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, including potential clinical successes, anticipated regulatory approvals and future product launches, and projected revenues, margins, earnings and market shares. The statements made by the Company are based upon management's current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include market conditions and other factors beyond the Company's control and the risk factors and other cautionary statements described in the Company's filings with the SEC, including those described in the Risk Factors and Cautionary Statements sections of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 3, 2010. The Company does not intend to update these statements and undertakes no duty to any person to provide any such update under any circumstance.

Source: St. Jude Medical, Inc.