Boston Scientific to acquire ICD specialist Cameron Health

Boston Scientific has announced the acquisition of Cameron Health, a specialist developer of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) based in California.

The company has exercised its option to purchase Cameron and will be paying an upfront fee of $150 million (95.6 million pounds), with additional milestone-based fees to exceed $1.2 billion.

Cameron is the creator of the S-ICD System, the world's first and only commercially available subcutaneous ICD, meaning it is able to sit just below the surface of the skin without interfering with the heart and blood vessels.

The device has been approved for European sale since 2009, with Boston Scientific now seeking to obtain regulatory clearance in the US.

Hank Kucheman, chief executive officer of Boston Scientific, said: "With Cameron, we gain a strong, experienced team of professionals who are pioneers in this novel technology and we are thrilled to welcome them to Boston Scientific."

This comes after the company extended its US distribution deal with Lumenis for its Lumenis Holmium Laser Fiber product last week.