Tell us about Occlutech and the company’s business concept. 
Founded in 2003 in Germany, Occlutech is a leading specialist in minimally invasive heart implants. What has driven us since the beginning is to improve the quality of life for people with heart conditions through innovation and technological development. Our vision is to become a world-leading specialist in heart implants for congenital heart defects, stroke prevention and heart failure and what will get us there is the combination between our technology, which has proven very competitive with our larger industry colleagues, and market expansion, not least in the US. We have our main operation sites in Germany, Turkey and Sweden, and serve 15 direct markets as well as an extensive distributor network and sales in over 85 countries. For the past fifteen years, we have built up the company with the main focus on congenital heart defects and stroke prevention. Products for heart failure patients are seen as one of the main growth potentials in our industry. It is a global public disease and a diagnosis that annually entails significant costs for society and a lot of suffering for the patient. Heart failure is a progressive disease where the medical needs are extensive, and we can make a real difference here with our products.

You have a broad, documented product portfolio based on a self-developed and patented technology platform. How can the technology platform be used?
We develop, manufacture and commercialize occluders and interatrial shunt products, which are different types
of minimally invasive heart implants. We currently have about ten products on the market as well as over 200 patents and have sold more than 146,000 implants. We are distinguished by having an extensive network of distributors and sales in many countries around the world, which is unique to a company of our size. The technology platform is the basis of our competitive advantage and enables us to create implants with increased flexibility and thus safety when performing the minimally invasive implantation procedures.

You are now making great progress in the US market and have, among other things, recruited the first patient for an important US FDA study that in the long-term can lead to product approval in the world’s largest market for medical devices. How do you see Occlutech’s potential for success in the US market?
We started a subsidiary in the US in the beginning of 2021, focusing on clinical trials for regulatory approval, logistics and to support distribution. We are now conducting the OCCLUFLEX study, which aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of our PFO Occluder in comparison with standard care in patients who have suffered from a cryptogenic stroke. The US accounts for 30 percent of the global market for occulders for structural heart defects. Our ambition is to get FDA approval for both AFR implants for heart failure and PFO Occluders for stroke prevention and near-term approval of our ASD Occluder which we expect during 2022.

Occlutech has been a commercially established company in large parts of the world for fifteen years. What are the benefits of launching it in the US?
The US market is characterized by an attractive pricing and reimbursement system and is a key market for us. The fact that we have been commercially established in the European market for fifteen years and that our products are proven and recognized by cardiologists around the world, increases the likelihood that we will be able to process the US market effectively. This gives us an advantage over other companies launched in the US market without first having an equally strong foothold in other global markets.

What does your growth strategy look like?
Our sales continue to develop with good momentum, which confirms the quality and competitiveness of our products. We have a clear growth strategy, both in existing markets and through further global expansion. The US market, which is the world’s largest, is expected to generate significant growth opportunities in the coming years, but we also judge the growth potential in our existing markets to be high. And thirdly our business within the Heart Failure market is estimated to be a multibillion market, where we today are one of the few players offering implants.

Occlutech is not a listed company. What are your plans for a possible listing?
A listing of the company is on our agenda. The Board has instructed the management to prepare the company for a listing on Nasdaq Stockholm’s main list. The appropriate time for listing depends on market conditions, but our internal work will be completed during the first half of 2023.

Which factors make Occlutech a company worth buying if listed?
We have a successful and comprehensive track record, a product portfolio with about ten products and over 200 patents that protect the rights to our proprietary technology platform. We are an established company that has had products on the market since 2007. The fact that we operate in three areas: stroke, congenital heart defects and heart failure, helps to diversify and spread the risks in our business. For fifteen years we have achieved great success in more than 85 markets with our products for minimally invasive heart implants and are now in an expansive phase as we face an upcoming US launch. An eventful journey awaits the company’s shareholders as Occlutech is likely to pass a number of important milestones in the coming years. We are also a stable company with a profitable base business, and we are ranked second in Europe and third in the world when it comes to market shares.

Fact: Occlutech is a leading specialist provider of minimally invasive structural heart devices, with a mission to improve the quality of life for people with heart conditions. The vision is to become a global leading specialist in cardiac devices, addressing congenital heart defects, stroke prevention and heart failure. Since 2003, the company has developed, manufactured, and commercialized occluders and interatrial shunt products. Occlutech has a broad and proven portfolio, based on proprietary technology, and over 200 patents with more than 146,000 products sold. The company markets and sells its products in over 85 countries. The company has around 290 employees and is a public limited liability company registered in Switzerland. 

Read the article in Swedish here >>