Artio Medical acquires Flow Forward Medical

Artio Medical, Inc. announced it has acquired Flow Forward Medical, Inc. (Flow Forward), a medical device company developing innovative methods for establishing and maintaining high-quality vascular access sites to improve outcomes for hemodialysis patients, according to a Thursday news release from Artio.

This stock-for-stock merger transaction in which Flow Forward merged with and into Artio was approved by the Board of Directors and stockholders of both companies, the release said. 

“Flow Forward’s venous dilation technology is highly complementary to Artio’s existing peripheral vascular portfolio, with significant overlap in physician call points and procedures,” F. Nicholas Franano, president and CEO of Artio Medical, said in the release. “This acquisition provides a unique opportunity to diversify Artio’s endovascular pipeline, which will now include next generation vascular access solutions for kidney failure patients.”

“Creating and maintaining reliable access sites is a complex vascular challenge, often resulting in complications, repeat procedures, and increased cost to patients, yet is critical for lifesaving hemodialysis treatment,” Paul Muller, chief technology officer and general manager of Flow Forward, said in the release. “We are very excited Artio recognizes the significant potential of our technology and we look forward to leveraging their expertise as we prepare for our first clinical use in the coming months and then move toward commercialization.”