Johnson & Johnson Agrees to Buy Atraverse Medical, Maker of HOTWIRE Transseptal System

Johnson & Johnson has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Atraverse Medical, a privately held medical device company working on left-heart access and radiofrequency (RF) technology, the company announced on April 24. Financial terms were not disclosed.

J&J said the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

The device

Atraverse makes the HOTWIRE Transseptal Access System, which J&J described as an FDA-cleared RF guidewire and generator system designed for greater confidence and control when accessing the left atrium. The system has been used in nearly 3,000 clinical procedures, according to J&J.

J&J said achieving safe and precise access to the left atrium "remains one of the most critical steps in atrial fibrillation ablation."

J&J listed several features of the system, including impedance-sensing automatic energy shutoff, compatibility with multiple sheaths and tip visibility under intracardiac echocardiography. Those descriptions are the company's.

Building out cardiac ablation

The planned acquisition would strengthen J&J's portfolio of cardiac ablation products, giving electrophysiologists additional tools to treat patients with atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias, the company said.

The deal adds to J&J's electrophysiology business, which grew 12.6% to nearly $1.5 billion in first-quarter sales, MedTech Dive reported on April 14. J&J's Varipulse pulsed field ablation platform has fueled that growth, according to the publication.

J&J's cardiovascular unit grew 13% to $2.38 billion in first-quarter sales, outpacing its surgery, vision and orthopedics units, MedTech Dive reported. The company has spent nearly $30 billion on cardiovascular companies over the past several years, including Abiomed and Shockwave Medical, and plans to spin off its orthopedics business because of its lower growth profile, according to the publication.

"We are really excited to be now significantly embedded in the cardiovascular space beyond the leadership position we hold in electrophysiology," Tim Schmid, J&J's worldwide chairman of medtech, said on the company's April 14 earnings call, as reported by MedTech Dive.

Other device makers have also been buying cardiovascular technology this month. Stryker agreed on April 13 to acquire Amplitude Vascular Systems, a developer of intravascular lithotripsy for calcified leg arteries, for undisclosed terms, MedTech Dive reported. J&J bought lithotripsy maker Shockwave for $13.1 billion in 2024, according to the same report.

J&J's statement did not say how many Atraverse employees would join the company, where the HOTWIRE business would sit within J&J MedTech, or whether the system is sold outside the United States.