J&J to acquire Atraverse Medical, adding to cardiovascular lineup

Johnson & Johnson said Friday, April 24, that it has agreed to acquire Atraverse Medical, a privately held device maker whose radiofrequency guidewire is used to gain left-heart access during atrial fibrillation ablation procedures.

The deal would fold Atraverse's Hotwire Transseptal Access System into J&J's cardiac ablation portfolio, an area the company has been aggressively building out through acquisitions. J&J expects the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2026 and did not disclose financial terms.

Hotwire received FDA clearance in 2024 as a radiofrequency guidewire and generator designed to puncture the atrial septum, giving electrophysiologists access to the left atrium. Atraverse said the system has been used in nearly 3,000 procedures by close to 100 cardiac electrophysiologists and interventional cardiologists since its limited launch. In a multicenter first-in-human study of nearly 500 patients, physicians reported 100% procedural success, with 29% of cases performed without fluoroscopy, the X-ray imaging traditionally used to guide the procedure.

J&J highlighted three features as differentiators: impedance-sensing technology that automatically shuts off energy delivery, compatibility with multiple sheaths, and clear tip visibility under intracardiac echocardiography.

A Farapulse reunion

Atraverse carries notable medtech pedigree. The company was founded by Steven Mickelsen, Eric Sauter and John Slump, three of the figures behind Farapulse, the pulsed field ablation pioneer that Boston Scientific acquired in 2021 and built into a leadership position in the rapidly growing PFA market. Slump serves as Atraverse's CEO, Mickelsen as chief translational science officer and Sauter as chief operating officer.

The company raised $12.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round alongside its FDA clearance in 2024, then closed a $29.4 million financing last year to expand commercialization.

In its 510(k) submission, Atraverse cited Boston Scientific's ProTrack RF Anchor Wire as the predicate device, telling the FDA that Hotwire is largely identical to ProTrack. The company flagged differences in the radiofrequency generator, the option of a smaller-diameter guidewire with a straight-tip configuration and the sterilization method, but said none raised new safety or effectiveness questions.

Slotting into a growth engine

For J&J, the Atraverse purchase is the latest tuck-in within a cardiovascular business that has become a standout performer. The unit posted first-quarter sales of $2.38 billion, a 13% increase year over year, propelled in large part by acquired franchises including Abiomed's heart pumps and Shockwave Medical's intravascular lithotripsy systems.

Cardiac ablation is also one of the most competitive corners of medtech right now, with J&J, Boston Scientific, Medtronic and Abbott all jockeying for share as PFA reshapes treatment for atrial fibrillation. Adding Hotwire gives J&J a differentiated tool earlier in the procedure, at the transseptal puncture step, rather than at the ablation itself, broadening the company's reach across the AFib workflow.