Latest news with #medicaltech
Reuters
08-08-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Heartflow raises $316.7 million in US IPO as medtech listings attempt comeback
Aug 7 (Reuters) - Medical technology firm Heartflow said on Thursday it had raised $316.7 million in its U.S. initial public offering, setting the stage for its Nasdaq debut in another test of investor appetite for medical tech companies. The Mountain View, California-based company sold 16.67 million shares at $19 each, compared with a targeted range of $17 to $18 apiece. It upsized its offering and raised the proposed range earlier this week reflecting strong demand. The IPO valued the company at $1.54 billion. U.S. IPOs have picked up pace in a much-awaited recovery, as solid tech earnings and progress on trade deals have helped restore investor confidence. Strong recent debuts mark a reversal from early April, when uncertainty around U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs paused dealmaking. Heartflow's stock will begin trading on the Nasdaq on Friday under the "HTFL" ticker symbol. The closing of the offering is expected on August 11. J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Piper Sandler are the lead underwriters for the offering. Following software firm Figma's (FIG.N), opens new tab blowout debut last week, analysts expect companies with a compelling growth story to be welcomed by the public markets. "We expect Heartflow to be well received at launch, especially following Figma's breakout success, which has helped reset sentiment toward high-growth names," IPOX CEO Josef Schuster said. Bain Capital-backed Heartflow leverages AI to create 3D models of the heart via a single specialized scan, improving detection and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). As AI gains widespread acceptance, companies embedding it into workflows for meaningful use cases are catching investor attention, with the technology powering gains across various Big Tech businesses. Heartflow's revenue grew 39% for the quarter ended March 31 from a year earlier. Its platform to detect CAD was used in 132,000 patients in 2024.
CNN
11-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Most sleep apnea treatments blow. This one sucks. Is it on to something?
For a potentially serious medical condition, it's remarkable how few people know they have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA, in which a person's upper airway collapses, causing irregular breathing, is the most common sleep-related breathing condition. One study estimated well over 900 million adults between 30 and 69 years old may have it worldwide, though as many as four in five moderate-to-severe cases are undiagnosed. Left untreated, it can increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, hearth attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and yet untreated is what most cases — diagnosed and undiagnosed — are. The good news is that for people with a diagnosis, there have never been more ways to remedy the problem. With the global sleep apnea device market valued at $8.52 billion in 2024 and projected to rise to nearly $13 billion by 2030, according to one 2025 report, medical tech companies are developing new solutions. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which push air into the mouth to maintain open airways, are highly effective and have long been considered the gold standard treatment. However, CPAP can have a high initial dropout rate, with users citing the discomfort of wearing a mask strapped to the face, or the lifestyle adaptations required to use the machine. Despite CPAP's dominance, the marketplace for solutions is opening up. Mandibular advancement devices worn over teeth hold the lower jaw and tongue forward; neurostimulation implants trigger the hypoglossal nerve into action to prevent the tongue and soft tissues from blocking airways; there's also a drug being trialed that's designed to stimulate the nerve. Another alternative is negative pressure devices, which unlike CPAP, suck instead of blow, pulling the tongue and soft tissues up and forward in the mouth. So far, such devices haven't been shown to be as effective as CPAP, but the technology is slowly finding its place in the market, with Taiwanese company Somnics Health carving out a foothold. Roughly the size of a smartphone, Somnics' iNAP is a battery-powered device that attaches to a narrow tube with a flexible mouthpiece at the other end. That is worn inside the mouth, and once switched on, negative pressure keeps airways open. Users then breathe through their nose as normal. 'The beauty of it is it allows natural breathing … and it's a very comfortable, quiet and efficient solution,' said Somnics general manager Olivier Lauzeral in a video interview. The iNAP was conceived over a decade ago by Somnics founder Chung Chu Chen, who combined his research with intellectual property purchased from US company Apnicure (which went out of business in 2017, said Lauzeral) to create a negative pressure product. Initial R&D and clinical work took place in Taiwan, where it was first approved by authorities. Since then it has been gradually introduced to new markets across Asia and Europe, winning multiple design awards. In 2020 it was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States among adults with obstructive sleep apnea who won't use CPAP. Today, around 3,000 patients use the iNAP in the US, said Lauzeral, and around 10,000 worldwide. While studies have shown that negative pressure devices are less effective than CPAP, Lauzeral said that the company's target market is patients who decide not to use CPAP and mandibular devices, but are not ready for a surgical solution like neurostimulation. 'Seventy percent of our patients are 'CPAP failing,'' he explained. 'That was our first way to adopt patients — to talk to those who had that experience with CPAP. The other 30% are what we call 'naïve patients,' (meaning) they hadn't tried any other treatments before.' Lauzeral hopes that the convenience of a discreet and portable device that can run for five nights on a single charge will attract patients from younger demographics. 'Half of the population with sleep apnea is younger than 53,' he said. 'A lot of those patients don't want to touch a CPAP. 'What's sad to see is those people being in denial, not wanting to be treated when they're in their 30s or early 40s. They don't get into their treatment, then their sleep apnea deteriorates… 10 years later they have no choice but getting into CPAP and at that point their health is really not good.' Somnics has recently introduced a subscription model in the US, whereby patients can pay for the device in installments over 24 months, which retails at $1,399. Unlike most CPAP machines, the prescription-only iNAP is not currently covered by health insurance in the US, though Lauzeral said Somnics is hoping to change this. Dr. Hrayr Attarian, a sleep medicine specialist and professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told CNN that there need to be bigger studies on the efficacy of iNAP. 'The research out there was done in small groups of people,' he said in an email. 'Even with those limitations,' studies showed improvements in 75% and 83% of patients, 'vs. close to 95% with CPAP,' he added. Attarian characterized the device as 'an alternative but not a replacement for CPAP,' though agreed that Somnics' treatment was 'less intrusive.' Surveying the market, although 'OSA treatments are going to be more fragmented… nothing so far has the same efficacy of CPAP,' he said. To become a viable competitor, negative pressure manufacturers need to conduct clinical trials with 'a larger number of participants with all degrees of (OSA) severity,' he added. Dr. Johan Verbraecken, pulmonologist and medical coordinator at the Sleep Disorders Centre, Antwerp University Hospital, agreed that more research would help establish the effectiveness of the iNAP. Currently, it's not a first-line treatment, he said — particularly for severe cases of OSA. Verbraecken described it as an 'add-on treatment instead of a standalone treatment.' He said that the iNAP has minimal side effects but argued that to compete with CPAP, the product needs to more effectively reduce patients' Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) — how often a person's breathing slows or stops during sleep. 'There has always been an interest in (CPAP) alternatives,' he said. 'These numbers grow, given more patients get the diagnosis, while the absolute number of people not tolerant to CPAP is growing accordingly. On the other hand, the dropout rate is lowering, given better CPAP and mask technology.' Somnics will be banking that there will continue to be a percentage of patients who will remain averse to CPAP. 'We're ready to start working with partners that will help us really get to the next level and grow and capture all those patients,' said Lauzeral.
CNN
11-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Most sleep apnea treatments blow. This one sucks. Is it on to something?
For a potentially serious medical condition, it's remarkable how few people know they have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA, in which a person's upper airway collapses, causing irregular breathing, is the most common sleep-related breathing condition. One study estimated well over 900 million adults between 30 and 69 years old may have it worldwide, though as many as four in five moderate-to-severe cases are undiagnosed. Left untreated, it can increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, hearth attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and yet untreated is what most cases — diagnosed and undiagnosed — are. The good news is that for people with a diagnosis, there have never been more ways to remedy the problem. With the global sleep apnea device market valued at $8.52 billion in 2024 and projected to rise to nearly $13 billion by 2030, according to one 2025 report, medical tech companies are developing new solutions. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which push air into the mouth to maintain open airways, are highly effective and have long been considered the gold standard treatment. However, CPAP can have a high initial dropout rate, with users citing the discomfort of wearing a mask strapped to the face, or the lifestyle adaptations required to use the machine. Despite CPAP's dominance, the marketplace for solutions is opening up. Mandibular advancement devices worn over teeth hold the lower jaw and tongue forward; neurostimulation implants trigger the hypoglossal nerve into action to prevent the tongue and soft tissues from blocking airways; there's also a drug being trialed that's designed to stimulate the nerve. Another alternative is negative pressure devices, which unlike CPAP, suck instead of blow, pulling the tongue and soft tissues up and forward in the mouth. So far, such devices haven't been shown to be as effective as CPAP, but the technology is slowly finding its place in the market, with Taiwanese company Somnics Health carving out a foothold. Roughly the size of a smartphone, Somnics' iNAP is a battery-powered device that attaches to a narrow tube with a flexible mouthpiece at the other end. That is worn inside the mouth, and once switched on, negative pressure keeps airways open. Users then breathe through their nose as normal. 'The beauty of it is it allows natural breathing … and it's a very comfortable, quiet and efficient solution,' said Somnics general manager Olivier Lauzeral in a video interview. The iNAP was conceived over a decade ago by Somnics founder Chung Chu Chen, who combined his research with intellectual property purchased from US company Apnicure (which went out of business in 2017, said Lauzeral) to create a negative pressure product. Initial R&D and clinical work took place in Taiwan, where it was first approved by authorities. Since then it has been gradually introduced to new markets across Asia and Europe, winning multiple design awards. In 2020 it was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States among adults with obstructive sleep apnea who won't use CPAP. Today, around 3,000 patients use the iNAP in the US, said Lauzeral, and around 10,000 worldwide. While studies have shown that negative pressure devices are less effective than CPAP, Lauzeral said that the company's target market is patients who decide not to use CPAP and mandibular devices, but are not ready for a surgical solution like neurostimulation. 'Seventy percent of our patients are 'CPAP failing,'' he explained. 'That was our first way to adopt patients — to talk to those who had that experience with CPAP. The other 30% are what we call 'naïve patients,' (meaning) they hadn't tried any other treatments before.' Lauzeral hopes that the convenience of a discreet and portable device that can run for five nights on a single charge will attract patients from younger demographics. 'Half of the population with sleep apnea is younger than 53,' he said. 'A lot of those patients don't want to touch a CPAP. 'What's sad to see is those people being in denial, not wanting to be treated when they're in their 30s or early 40s. They don't get into their treatment, then their sleep apnea deteriorates… 10 years later they have no choice but getting into CPAP and at that point their health is really not good.' Somnics has recently introduced a subscription model in the US, whereby patients can pay for the device in installments over 24 months, which retails at $1,399. Unlike most CPAP machines, the prescription-only iNAP is not currently covered by health insurance in the US, though Lauzeral said Somnics is hoping to change this. Dr. Hrayr Attarian, a sleep medicine specialist and professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told CNN that there need to be bigger studies on the efficacy of iNAP. 'The research out there was done in small groups of people,' he said in an email. 'Even with those limitations,' studies showed improvements in 75% and 83% of patients, 'vs. close to 95% with CPAP,' he added. Attarian characterized the device as 'an alternative but not a replacement for CPAP,' though agreed that Somnics' treatment was 'less intrusive.' Surveying the market, although 'OSA treatments are going to be more fragmented… nothing so far has the same efficacy of CPAP,' he said. To become a viable competitor, negative pressure manufacturers need to conduct clinical trials with 'a larger number of participants with all degrees of (OSA) severity,' he added. Dr. Johan Verbraecken, pulmonologist and medical coordinator at the Sleep Disorders Centre, Antwerp University Hospital, agreed that more research would help establish the effectiveness of the iNAP. Currently, it's not a first-line treatment, he said — particularly for severe cases of OSA. Verbraecken described it as an 'add-on treatment instead of a standalone treatment.' He said that the iNAP has minimal side effects but argued that to compete with CPAP, the product needs to more effectively reduce patients' Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) — how often a person's breathing slows or stops during sleep. 'There has always been an interest in (CPAP) alternatives,' he said. 'These numbers grow, given more patients get the diagnosis, while the absolute number of people not tolerant to CPAP is growing accordingly. On the other hand, the dropout rate is lowering, given better CPAP and mask technology.' Somnics will be banking that there will continue to be a percentage of patients who will remain averse to CPAP. 'We're ready to start working with partners that will help us really get to the next level and grow and capture all those patients,' said Lauzeral.
CNN
11-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Most sleep apnea treatments blow. This one sucks. Is it on to something?
For a potentially serious medical condition, it's remarkable how few people know they have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA, in which a person's upper airway collapses, causing irregular breathing, is the most common sleep-related breathing condition. One study estimated well over 900 million adults between 30 and 69 years old may have it worldwide, though as many as four in five moderate-to-severe cases are undiagnosed. Left untreated, it can increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, hearth attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and yet untreated is what most cases — diagnosed and undiagnosed — are. The good news is that for people with a diagnosis, there have never been more ways to remedy the problem. With the global sleep apnea device market valued at $8.52 billion in 2024 and projected to rise to nearly $13 billion by 2030, according to one 2025 report, medical tech companies are developing new solutions. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which push air into the mouth to maintain open airways, are highly effective and have long been considered the gold standard treatment. However, CPAP can have a high initial dropout rate, with users citing the discomfort of wearing a mask strapped to the face, or the lifestyle adaptations required to use the machine. Despite CPAP's dominance, the marketplace for solutions is opening up. Mandibular advancement devices worn over teeth hold the lower jaw and tongue forward; neurostimulation implants trigger the hypoglossal nerve into action to prevent the tongue and soft tissues from blocking airways; there's also a drug being trialed that's designed to stimulate the nerve. Another alternative is negative pressure devices, which unlike CPAP, suck instead of blow, pulling the tongue and soft tissues up and forward in the mouth. So far, such devices haven't been shown to be as effective as CPAP, but the technology is slowly finding its place in the market, with Taiwanese company Somnics Health carving out a foothold. Roughly the size of a smartphone, Somnics' iNAP is a battery-powered device that attaches to a narrow tube with a flexible mouthpiece at the other end. That is worn inside the mouth, and once switched on, negative pressure keeps airways open. Users then breathe through their nose as normal. 'The beauty of it is it allows natural breathing … and it's a very comfortable, quiet and efficient solution,' said Somnics general manager Olivier Lauzeral in a video interview. The iNAP was conceived over a decade ago by Somnics founder Chung Chu Chen, who combined his research with intellectual property purchased from US company Apnicure (which went out of business in 2017, said Lauzeral) to create a negative pressure product. Initial R&D and clinical work took place in Taiwan, where it was first approved by authorities. Since then it has been gradually introduced to new markets across Asia and Europe, winning multiple design awards. In 2020 it was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States among adults with obstructive sleep apnea who won't use CPAP. Today, around 3,000 patients use the iNAP in the US, said Lauzeral, and around 10,000 worldwide. While studies have shown that negative pressure devices are less effective than CPAP, Lauzeral said that the company's target market is patients who decide not to use CPAP and mandibular devices, but are not ready for a surgical solution like neurostimulation. 'Seventy percent of our patients are 'CPAP failing,'' he explained. 'That was our first way to adopt patients — to talk to those who had that experience with CPAP. The other 30% are what we call 'naïve patients,' (meaning) they hadn't tried any other treatments before.' Lauzeral hopes that the convenience of a discreet and portable device that can run for five nights on a single charge will attract patients from younger demographics. 'Half of the population with sleep apnea is younger than 53,' he said. 'A lot of those patients don't want to touch a CPAP. 'What's sad to see is those people being in denial, not wanting to be treated when they're in their 30s or early 40s. They don't get into their treatment, then their sleep apnea deteriorates… 10 years later they have no choice but getting into CPAP and at that point their health is really not good.' Somnics has recently introduced a subscription model in the US, whereby patients can pay for the device in installments over 24 months, which retails at $1,399. Unlike most CPAP machines, the prescription-only iNAP is not currently covered by health insurance in the US, though Lauzeral said Somnics is hoping to change this. Dr. Hrayr Attarian, a sleep medicine specialist and professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told CNN that there need to be bigger studies on the efficacy of iNAP. 'The research out there was done in small groups of people,' he said in an email. 'Even with those limitations,' studies showed improvements in 75% and 83% of patients, 'vs. close to 95% with CPAP,' he added. Attarian characterized the device as 'an alternative but not a replacement for CPAP,' though agreed that Somnics' treatment was 'less intrusive.' Surveying the market, although 'OSA treatments are going to be more fragmented… nothing so far has the same efficacy of CPAP,' he said. To become a viable competitor, negative pressure manufacturers need to conduct clinical trials with 'a larger number of participants with all degrees of (OSA) severity,' he added. Dr. Johan Verbraecken, pulmonologist and medical coordinator at the Sleep Disorders Centre, Antwerp University Hospital, agreed that more research would help establish the effectiveness of the iNAP. Currently, it's not a first-line treatment, he said — particularly for severe cases of OSA. Verbraecken described it as an 'add-on treatment instead of a standalone treatment.' He said that the iNAP has minimal side effects but argued that to compete with CPAP, the product needs to more effectively reduce patients' Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) — how often a person's breathing slows or stops during sleep. 'There has always been an interest in (CPAP) alternatives,' he said. 'These numbers grow, given more patients get the diagnosis, while the absolute number of people not tolerant to CPAP is growing accordingly. On the other hand, the dropout rate is lowering, given better CPAP and mask technology.' Somnics will be banking that there will continue to be a percentage of patients who will remain averse to CPAP. 'We're ready to start working with partners that will help us really get to the next level and grow and capture all those patients,' said Lauzeral.
Fast Company
02-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Are you too reliable to be promotable?
James wanted to reach the senior VP or CTO level, but feedback was clear: He was viewed as a working manager, not a leader of leaders. His identity as the expert got him only so far. Now it was the very thing limiting his advancement. James was a recognized expert at his medical tech firm: one of its first employees and instrumental in building its core software platform. Over 16 years, his deep expertise and calm problem-solving skills earned him the role of vice president of technology. Known for his composure in crisis and passion for learning, James was admired for his reliability, humility, and ability to 'sit with messy problems' until real solutions emerged. He always 'showed up' and could be counted on to fix what was broken. But this exact reputation was beginning to hold him back. Because he was so competent and quick to step in, James stayed in the weeds, solving issues rather than shaping future vision. Despite his VP title, his role remained execution-heavy. James's story is a familiar one. High-performing employees are often burdened with additional work without corresponding recognition or advancement opportunities, which is also known as a ' quiet promotion.' I've seen it with many of my clients. Being too good at your job can trap you in it—so much so that you end up asking the same frustrating question: 'If I'm so good at my job, why am I not getting promoted?' Here are four ways to rebrand yourself from dependable doer to strategic leader: THE SHIFT FROM EXPERTISE TO INFLUENCE The shift starts with delegation. Many years ago, my boss gave me an opportunity to present to the company's leadership team. When the CEO and leadership team asked questions I couldn't answer, my boss didn't jump in to save me as many would. Later, I learned that she had informed them that I was on a stretch assignment and she would be sitting in as an observer. This is a creative example of delegating a low-stakes task. Oftentimes, people make high-impact mistakes because leaders delegate when the stakes are too high. So, the key to breaking this cycle is to start delegating with low-stakes tasks. Instead of being the one solving every problem, start empowering others to take ownership, and resist the urge to jump in and fix things when they struggle. Invest time in setting direction, shaping strategy, and influencing outcomes. When colleagues come to you for answers, redirect them: 'This is something my direct report now handles. I'll connect you.' It's important that you are no longer the only one with the answers; you're building a team that owns the answers. That's what leaders do. AVOID THE 'HIDDEN GEM' TRAP Many 'hidden gems' are bright, diligent, and high-performing leaders. They are frequently a leadership team's go-to problem solver. They deliver consistently, yet may watch less-competent colleagues get promoted. Avoiding self-promotion for fear they will come across as 'braggy,' they believe their hard work and results should speak for themselves. Unfortunately, those efforts often don't get noticed because their boss is too busy to connect the dots. Doing excellent work isn't enough if no one sees or understands its strategic impact. Proactively align and advocate your work results to company goals and talk about impact in strategic terms. Say things like 'This initiative helps us reduce risk in X,' or 'This supports the CEO's Q3 priority on customer retention.' This approach positions you as a leader who is visible and valuable, making it less about you specifically and more about linking your efforts to how they help the organization. ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF I coach many high-performing leaders who are brilliant at mentoring others, cheering on peers, and celebrating team wins. However, they rarely apply that same energy to their own advancement. If you'd write a glowing email to recommend a mentee for a project, write one for yourself. If you'd encourage someone to take a stretch role, say yes to your own. Schedule check-ins to talk about your growth, not just your deliverables. Think of self-advocacy not as a performance, but as a responsibility. Your future team needs a seat at the table, and you can't secure it by staying silent. Speak in Future Tense Here's a subtle but powerful shift: Stop talking only about what you've done, and start talking about what you're building. Many professionals unintentionally brand themselves as 'reliable and steady,' but not as 'innovative, visionary, or future-ready.' As organizations endure immense pressure to grow, adapt, or change due to economic or competitive pressures, how are you helping identify and navigate these challenges? Shift your language from past-tense accomplishments to future-focused initiatives. Instead of 'I've always done X,' say 'I'm currently focused on growing our capability in Y,' or 'I'm exploring ways to help our team do Z more efficiently.' This frames you as someone evolving and aligned with what's next, and shows that you're not just proud of what you've done but you're also paying attention to what's next. That's the kind of mindset that makes you promotable. It's important to remember that rebranding yourself at work doesn't happen overnight. It takes intentional effort to stop being seen as the person who always comes through and start being seen as the person who creates the conditions for others to come through. You don't get promoted for being reliable. You get promoted for being visionary, influential, and growth-minded.
