Boston Scientific and Blackstone fund heart pump

Boston Scientific has partnered with Blackstone Life Sciences to jointly finance research and development of its Vitalyst miniaturized heart pump. Under the terms of the deal, Blackstone will provide up to $455 million, with compensation structured around regulatory milestones, commercial achievements, and a share of future sales revenue.

The collaboration grants Blackstone eligibility for milestone payments tied to regulatory approvals and commercial rollouts, along with royalties based on net product sales. Boston Scientific initially prioritized Vitalyst for use in acute myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock, a strategic pivot following challenges faced by Johnson & Johnson’s competing Impella device in a different clinical application.

The Vitalyst system functions as a temporary mechanical circulatory support tool, incorporating a magnetically levitated impeller to minimize vascular injury risks. Its catheter and motor architecture is engineered for enhanced stability and reduced hemolysis, the breakdown of red blood cells, compared to existing solutions.

During a Bernstein conference in May 2025, CEO Mike Mahoney described Vitalyst as “the largest investment we have in the company.” After advancing the device to the threshold of a key trial, Boston Scientific determined external partnership was essential to sustain development.

Blackstone will co-fund development and receive up to 2.5 times the amount it provides via milestone payments, plus royalties. Company CFO Jonathan Monson indicated on the Q3 earnings call that repayment obligations to Blackstone would commence in 2030.

The temporary percutaneous ventricular assist device market is projected to exceed $3 billion by 2035, with the acute AMI-CS segment representing approximately $1.5 billion of the total, Boston Scientific said via email.

Boston Scientific realigned its Vitalyst development strategy toward AMI cardiogenic shock after “the evolving clinical evidence in this space,” Mahoney stated during the earnings call. This shift arose following competitor data that “called into question the broad use of mechanical circulatory support for high-risk PCI,” as noted by Kenneth Stein, the company’s global chief medical officer.