Vygon signs exclusive agreement with Carmat to develop and manufacture vascular graft compatible with Aeson artificial heart

Collaboration between two prominent medtech companies will see Vygon create vascular graft to connect Carmat’s artificial heart to patients’ arteries
 
Ecouen, France, June 21, 2023 – Vygon, an international group specialized in the design, manufacturing and marketing of medical solutions and devices, today announces that it has signed an exclusive agreement with Carmat (FR0010907956, ALCAR, eligible for PEA-PME investment scheme), the French medtech company that designs, manufactures and markets the Aeson^® artificial heart. This partnership will see Vygon develop and manufacture a vascular graft for the outflow tract. The financial terms have not been disclosed.
 
Under the agreement, Vygon will adapt its existing polythese^® vascular graft to make it compatible with Carmat’s artificial heart. It will develop the two prosthetic outflow tracts connecting the Aeson heart to the patient’s pulmonary arteries and aorta.
 
Designed and developed by Carmat, the Aeson heart is the world’s first bioprosthetic artificial heart that is highly hemocompatible, pulsatile and self-regulated. It has the potential to save the lives of the thousands of patients each year who find themselves on the waiting list for a heart transplant. The device offers patients quality of life and mobility thanks to its ergonomic and portable external power supply system, which is permanently connected to the implanted prosthesis.
 
“We are honored that Carmat has chosen us to develop this new vascular graft – the first of its kind in the world,” said Ludovic Richard-Vitton, CEO at Vygon. “Carmat is a shining example of French medical innovation and has created a device with real life-saving potential. As fellow medtech specialists, we are proud to join forces with this groundbreaking company.”
 
“This partnership with Carmat will enable us to showcase one of the leading products from our cardiovascular & surgery catalog. It also confirms our reputation for outstanding industry expertise and problem-solving,” said Guillaume Puppinck, global director business plan and B2B deployment at Vygon. “We’re excited to use our expertise to adapt our graft to Carmat’s requirements and play our part in developing a treatment solution for patients waiting for heart transplants.”
 
Under the new agreement, Vygon also plans to develop a second bespoke device for Carmat by Q4, 2024.
 
About Vygon Group
Vygon designs, manufactures and markets high-tech single-use medical devices for healthcare professionals in hospitals and for private and independent practitioners. Vygon is a world leader within this industry, offering a wide range of products in a number of clinical specialties. Organized in five business units (Critical Care – Neonatology, Enteral & Obstetrics – Intravascular Therapies – Cardiovascular & Surgery – Pain & Airway Management), Vygon combines local and international in-depth expertise and know-how in each individual field. With expertise right along the value chain, from product design to the delivery of training for medical personnel, Vygon provides healthcare professionals with effective and innovative products tailored to their needs and those of their patients, for optimum use and safety.
The company distributes over 205 million products a year in more than 120 countries through its network of 27 subsidiaries and 331 distributors. Vygon products display the CE and/or FDA mark and are manufactured in the group’s eight factories in Europe, the USA and Colombia.
A family company founded in 1962, Vygon is based in Ecouen, in France’s Greater Paris region. It is a mid-sized business employing 2,557 staff worldwide. The turnover in 2022 was €374.1 million, with 81% of this derived from Vygon’s international business.
www.vygon.com