Abiomed
An American medical-device company specializing in temporary mechanical circulatory support, best known for its Impella family of heart pumps.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Abiomed is an American cardiovascular medical-device company headquartered in Danvers, Massachusetts. It develops and manufactures temporary mechanical circulatory-support technologies intended to assist the pumping function of a failing heart or, in selected applications, provide extracorporeal support for patients experiencing severe cardiac or respiratory failure. The company’s principal commercial franchise is Impella, a family of catheter-based heart pumps used in carefully defined clinical settings, including high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention, acute heart failure, right-heart failure, cardiogenic shock, cardiac surgery, and other situations requiring temporary ventricular assistance. The company was founded in 1981 by David M. Lederman as Applied Biomedical Corporation. Its earliest work centered on the development of a fully implantable artificial heart. That program produced AbioCor, an electrically powered artificial heart designed to replace the native heart without transcutaneous wires or tubes. AbioCor was implanted in clinical studies beginning in 2001 and received United States Food and Drug Administration approval in 2006 for a narrowly defined population of terminally ill patients who were not eligible for transplantation. Although the artificial-heart program established Abiomed’s technological identity, the company later shifted its strategic emphasis from permanent heart replacement toward temporary support and potential heart recovery. A major turning point came in 2005, when Abiomed acquired Impella CardioSystems AG of Aachen, Germany. Impella’s minimally invasive pump technology became the foundation of the company’s subsequent growth. Inserted through a catheter and positioned in or near the heart, Impella devices provide mechanically assisted blood flow while reducing ventricular workload. The portfolio expanded across left- and right-heart support, different flow requirements, surgical and percutaneous procedures, and digital monitoring. The company also broadened its support technologies through the acquisition of ECP in 2014, Breethe in 2020, and preCARDIA in 2021. Abiomed’s products have received multiple regulatory clearances and approvals, including important indications for high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention and right-heart support. Its Breethe OXY-1 System extends the company’s scope into portable extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, by oxygenating blood and removing carbon dioxide. Abiomed has also pursued next-generation pumps, including smaller-profile devices and systems with sensors and cloud-connected monitoring capabilities. The company became publicly prominent during the 2010s. It joined the S&P 500 in 2018 and was recognized by business publications for strong long-term share performance and rapid growth. Its fiscal 2022 revenue was reported as approximately $1.032 billion, before the company ceased being an independent public company. In November 2022, Johnson & Johnson announced an agreement to acquire Abiomed for approximately $16.6 billion in cash, subject to transaction terms and customary conditions. The acquisition closed on December 22, 2022. Following the transaction, Abiomed continued as a standalone business within Johnson & Johnson’s MedTech segment. Andrew Greenfield became president after the acquisition, while the Abiomed name, operating structure, and Impella portfolio remained in use. The company’s current positioning is concentrated in interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure, intensive cardiac care, and temporary mechanical circulatory support rather than consumer healthcare. Its technologies occupy a clinically important but debated area: while studies and regulatory decisions support selected uses, researchers and clinicians have continued to debate outcomes, evidence quality, bleeding and vascular risks, mortality, and the cost-effectiveness of Impella in some cardiogenic-shock applications.
History
Abiomed was established in Danvers, Massachusetts, in 1981 by David M. Lederman under the name Applied Biomedical Corporation. With support from federal research grants and collaboration with The Texas Heart Institute, the company initially pursued a fully implantable artificial heart. This program produced AbioCor, an electromagnetic artificial heart with an internal battery and no external wires or tubes. The device was first successfully implanted in a patient in July 2001. Fourteen units were implanted in clinical trials between 2001 and 2004, and the longest reported recipient survival was 512 days. The FDA approved AbioCor in 2006 for a narrowly defined group of terminally ill patients who were not candidates for transplantation. Abiomed’s strategic direction changed substantially in 2005, when it acquired Impella CardioSystems AG of Aachen, Germany. The acquired company had developed the Impella catheter-based heart pump, associated with engineer Thorsten Siess. Rather than concentrating primarily on permanent replacement of the heart, Abiomed increasingly built its business around temporary mechanical support intended to stabilize patients, assist high-risk procedures, and potentially allow myocardial recovery. The Impella family subsequently became the company’s central commercial and technological platform. The company expanded through product development and acquisitions. In 2014, it acquired German heart-pump maker ECP in a transaction reported at up to $30 million, including a separate buyout related to patents licensed to ECP. In 2018, Abiomed opened a $17 million Innovation Center at its Danvers headquarters, adding laboratories and production capabilities for blood, optical, software, mechanical, and electrical research. The company was added to the S&P 500 in May 2018 and became known for strong public-market performance during the decade. Abiomed’s regulatory and clinical footprint broadened during the 2010s. Impella 2.5 received FDA approval in 2015 for use during selected elective and urgent high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions. In 2016, Impella RP became the first percutaneous single-access heart pump approved by the FDA for temporary right-heart support. The company continued developing SmartAssist sensor technologies, cloud-connected monitoring through Impella Connect, smaller-profile pumps, and systems for both left- and right-sided support. In April 2020, Abiomed acquired Breethe, a University of Maryland spinout developing portable ECMO technology. The resulting Breethe OXY-1 System pumps blood, adds oxygen, and removes carbon dioxide for selected patients with cardiogenic shock or respiratory failure. The system received FDA 510(k) clearance later in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA issued Emergency Use Authorization for specified Impella applications and for combining Impella with Breethe ECMO in particular clinical circumstances. In 2021, Abiomed acquired preCARDIA, a catheter company focused on acute decompensated heart failure. Further development followed in 2021 and 2022. The FDA granted premarket approval to Impella RP with SmartAssist, breakthrough designation to the small-profile Impella ECP, and later approval to Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist for specified acute right-heart-failure treatment. Abiomed also began an early feasibility study of Impella Bridge-to-Recovery and reported results from the Restore EF study involving Impella-supported high-risk PCI. The company’s devices have also been the subject of continuing clinical debate. Although regulatory approvals and some studies support particular indications, researchers have noted limited randomized evidence for certain cardiogenic-shock uses, along with bleeding, vascular complications, mortality uncertainty, and substantial treatment costs. These issues form part of the broader medical discussion surrounding temporary mechanical circulatory support. In November 2022, Johnson & Johnson announced an agreement to acquire Abiomed for approximately $16.6 billion in cash. The transaction closed on December 22, 2022. Abiomed then became a standalone business within Johnson & Johnson’s MedTech segment. Andrew Greenfield became president, succeeding Michael R. Minogue, and the Abiomed brand and Impella portfolio continued under the new ownership.
- 2022
Johnson & Johnson announces acquisition
[2]Johnson & Johnson announced an approximately $16.6 billion cash transaction to acquire Abiomed.
- 2022
Acquisition closes
[3]Johnson & Johnson completed the acquisition on December 22, 2022, making Abiomed a standalone business within Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
- 2021
preCARDIA is acquired
[1]Abiomed acquired preCARDIA, a catheter developer focused on less-invasive treatment options for acute decompensated heart failure.
- 2020
Breethe is acquired
[1]Abiomed acquired Breethe and added portable ECMO technology to its cardiac and respiratory support portfolio.
- 2018
Abiomed joins the S&P 500
[1]Abiomed was added to the S&P 500 index as its public-market scale and valuation increased.
- 2016
Impella RP receives FDA approval
[1]Impella RP became the first percutaneous single-access heart pump approved by the FDA for temporary right-heart support.
- 2015
Impella 2.5 receives high-risk PCI approval
[1]The FDA approved Impella 2.5 for selected elective and urgent high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention procedures.
- 2014
ECP is acquired
[1]Abiomed acquired German heart-pump maker ECP, extending its portfolio of mechanical circulatory-support technologies.
- 2006
AbioCor receives FDA approval
[1]The FDA approved AbioCor for a narrowly defined population of terminally ill patients who were not eligible for a heart transplant.
- 2005
Impella CardioSystems is acquired
[1]Abiomed acquired Impella CardioSystems AG, shifting the company’s strategic focus toward temporary mechanical support and heart recovery.
Products and positioning
Advanced cardiovascular medical technology for temporary mechanical circulatory support, interventional cardiology, acute heart failure, cardiac surgery, and potential myocardial recovery.
Temporary mechanical circulatory support · 2005
Impella family
Impella is Abiomed’s principal family of catheter-based heart pumps. Depending on the model and approved indication, these devices provide temporary left- or right-ventricular support during high-risk coronary intervention, acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, cardiac surgery, or other specified situations. The portfolio has included Impella 2.5, Impella 5.0, Impella CP with SmartAssist, Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist, Impella RP with SmartAssist, Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist, and investigational smaller-profile systems.
Clinical monitoring and connectivity
Impella Connect
Impella Connect is a cloud-based connectivity and monitoring solution associated with Impella-supported patients. It is designed to give authorized healthcare providers secure remote access to relevant device-status information, supporting clinical oversight and coordination during mechanical circulatory support.
Implantable artificial heart · 2001
AbioCor
AbioCor was Abiomed’s fully implantable artificial-heart system. It used electromagnetic actuation and an internal battery to replace the pumping function of the native heart without external wires or tubes. Fourteen devices were implanted in clinical trials from 2001 to 2004, and the system received FDA approval in 2006 for a limited population of terminally ill patients who were not transplant candidates.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation · 2020
Breethe OXY-1 System
The Breethe OXY-1 System is a portable ECMO platform acquired through Abiomed’s purchase of Breethe. It circulates blood, oxygenates it, and removes carbon dioxide for selected patients with cardiogenic shock or respiratory failure. It may be used alone or alongside Impella support in circumstances covered by applicable regulatory authorization.
Investigational ventricular support · 2022
Impella Bridge-to-Recovery
Impella Bridge-to-Recovery is a minimally invasive heart-pump platform intended to provide temporary support while the heart recovers. Abiomed reported the first patient implantation in an early feasibility study in 2022. Its clinical-development status and availability depend on regulatory authorization and study conditions.
Brand decisions
2022
Johnson & Johnson acquisitionM&ABackground
Johnson & Johnson sought to strengthen its cardiovascular medical-technology business, while Abiomed had developed a substantial position in temporary mechanical circulatory support.
Action taken
Johnson & Johnson agreed to acquire Abiomed for approximately $16.6 billion in cash. The transaction closed on December 22, 2022.
Aftermath
Abiomed became a standalone business within Johnson & Johnson MedTech. Andrew Greenfield became president, and the Abiomed brand and Impella portfolio continued under the new ownership.
Announced transaction value. $16.6 billion (Announced November 2022; completed December 22, 2022)
2021
Acquisition of preCARDIAM&ABackground
Abiomed sought technologies addressing acute decompensated heart failure with less-invasive catheter-based treatment.
Action taken
Abiomed acquired preCARDIA and its catheter technology.
Aftermath
The acquisition complemented Abiomed’s existing acute-heart-failure and mechanical-support portfolio.
2020
Acquisition of BreetheM&ABackground
Abiomed aimed to add extracorporeal support capabilities that could complement its heart-pump business.
Action taken
Abiomed acquired Breethe, a University of Maryland spinout developing portable ECMO technology.
Aftermath
The technology became the Abiomed Breethe OXY-1 System and expanded the company’s reach into combined cardiac and respiratory support.
2014
Acquisition of ECPM&ABackground
Abiomed sought to expand its heart-pump technology and intellectual-property position in Europe.
Action taken
Abiomed acquired German heart-pump company ECP and completed a related buyout involving AIS GmbH Aachen Innovative Solutions.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened Abiomed’s portfolio and access to technology related to minimally invasive circulatory support.
Reported maximum transaction value. $30 million (2014)
2005
Shift from artificial-heart replacement toward temporary supportStrategyBackground
Abiomed’s early identity was built around the AbioCor fully implantable artificial heart, while the acquisition of Impella CardioSystems provided a commercially scalable catheter-based support platform.
Action taken
The company made Impella and temporary mechanical circulatory support central to its product and business strategy.
Aftermath
Impella became Abiomed’s principal franchise and the basis for expansion across interventional cardiology, acute heart failure, cardiac surgery, and right-heart support.
Recent events
Abiomed acquires preCARDIA[5]
Reported:
Abiomed acquired preCARDIA, a developer of a catheter and controller intended to complement Abiomed's product portfolio. The preCARDIA system was available for investigational use only and was not approved for use outside clinical studies.
FDA authorizes first-in-human feasibility study of Impella ECP[6]
Reported:
Abiomed announced that the U.S. FDA approved its investigational device exemption application, allowing an early feasibility study and first-in-human trial of the Impella ECP heart pump to proceed. The device is for investigational use only and is not approved for use outside clinical studies.
- Unconfirmed
Abiomed acquires Breethe[7]
Abiomed acquired Breethe, a Baltimore-based startup, and its oxygenation device to expand its product portfolio in the respiratory space.
Abiomed acquires Breethe[8]
Reported:
Abiomed acquired Breethe in late April 2020; the article says the deal's financial terms were not disclosed.
Abiomed reports higher third-quarter earnings[9]
Reported:
Abiomed reported third-quarter profit of $69.22 million, up from $44.86 million in the prior-year quarter, with revenue rising 10.5% to $221.58 million.
Sources9 sources
- 1Abiomeden.wikipedia.org
- 2Johnson & Johnson to acquire Abiomedjnj.com
- 3Johnson & Johnson completes acquisition of Abiomedjnj.com
- 4Abiomed leadershipabiomed.com
- 5Abiomed 收购 preCARDIAfinanznachrichten.de
- 6FDA批准Impella ECP开展首次人体可行性研究finanznachrichten.de
- 7Abiomed收购Breetheumaryland.edu
- 8Abiomed收购Breethebiobuzz.io
- 9Abiomed公布第三季度利润增长finanznachrichten.de
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