US-based medical technology company Boston Scientific has agreed to acquire medical device company Intera Oncology for an undisclosed sum.
Intera Oncology provides Intera 3000 Hepatic Artery Infusion Pump and chemotherapy drug floxuridine, both approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The pump is used to administer hepatic artery infusion (HAI) therapy to treat tumours in the liver primarily caused by metastatic colorectal cancer.
It is said to be the only FDA-approved constant-flow implantable pump for HAI therapy delivery.
The proposed acquisition is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025, subject to certain customary closing conditions.
Boston Scientific interventional oncology and embolisation president Peter Pattison said: “Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, and we are committed to providing meaningful solutions to safely and effectively treat various forms of this disease with minimal systemic side effects and improved outcomes for patients.
“Interest in HAI therapy has grown in the oncology community given improved techniques, positive clinical results and ongoing trials.
“We believe this acquisition will enable us to provide a more comprehensive set of solutions to physicians and their patients to treat both primary and metastatic forms of liver cancer.”
The Intera 3000 pump is implanted under the skin and a connected catheter is placed in the hepatic artery to supply oxygenated blood to the liver.
It provides a continuous flow of floxuridine directly into the liver to treat tumours that have metastasised, most commonly from the colon to deliver HAI therapy to treat cancer.
Intera Oncology validated the safety and effectiveness of its Intera 3000 pump in randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
The RCTs showed the clinical benefits of HAI therapy for patients with unresectable colorectal metastases to the liver, both before and after resection.
The study data also showed that HAI therapy significantly improves tumour response, time to progression and overall survival compared to systemic chemotherapy.
Currently, Phase 2 and 3 studies are exploring the use of HAI therapy in larger patient groups for first-line, second-line, and post-surgery adjuvant treatments.
Recently, Boston Scientific has agreed to acquire Cortex, a company of healthcare-focused investment firm Ajax Health, for an undisclosed sum.
