Medical device company HeartWare International develops and manufactures miniaturized implantable heart pumps called ventricular assist devices (VADs) to treat patients with advanced heart failure, providing a less invasive scale compared to traditional treatments.

Approximately 1 million patients suffer from the most severe stage of heart disease, Class IV heart failure. While receiving a heart transplant is an approved treatment option, there are only a limited number of donor hearts each year and the waiting list is often long. VADs provide circulatory assistance for the heart (referred to as bridge-to-transport therapy) until a donor is available or serve as an alternative to a transplant.

HeartWare’s HVAD® Pump is a small circulatory assist device designed to be implanted next to the heart in the pericardial space avoiding the more invasive surgical procedures, such as abdominal surgery, generally required with older LVAD technologies. Less invasive procedures may decrease actual procedural time, reduce bleeding and infection, and reduce the length of hospitalization.

The HVAD Pump is part of an entire system of supportive technologies including electronics and surgical tools and accessories. The HeartWare Ventricular Assist System is approved for market in the United States by the FDA as a bridge-to-transplant therapy for patients with advanced stage heart failure. The HeartWare® System has been commercially available in other global markets including Europe and Australia, since 2009.

To date, more than 2,500 patients worldwide have been treated with the company’s ventricular assist system, and with obesity and heart disease reaching alarming levels, the company faces a sea of opportunity and marketability.

For more information, visit www.heartwave.com.au

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