Ethicon agrees to acquire NeuWave Medical

Ethicon, a medical device company of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire NeuWave Medical, Inc., a privately held medical device company that manufactures and markets minimally invasive soft tissue microwave ablation systems. Their products are currently used by physicians in over half of the top cancer centers in the United States. This acquisition is consistent with the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices' strategy of advancing innovation and investing in areas of unmet medical needs such as surgical oncology. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

NeuWave Medical's ablation technology was originally developed by physicians and microwave scientists from the University of Wisconsin to maximize energy delivery to tissue, minimize invasiveness and provide physician-friendly workflow. NeuWave Medical's Certus ® 140 ablation system's high-powered computer and intuitive touchscreen interface enables activation of single or simultaneous multiple probe procedures for patients with soft tissue lesions. This allows physicians to effectively tailor ablations for lesions of varying shapes and sizes. NeuWave Medical's probe family includes conventional probes and the only Precision™ PR probe to limit the ablation length, allowing precise and controlled ablations.

"We continue to work to push the boundaries of access and treatment for patients for whom traditional surgery may not be an option today," said, Michael del Prado, Group Company Chairman of Ethicon. "The market-leading technology and expertise that NeuWave Medical has developed is minimally invasive and can be combined with other therapies to improve outcomes for patients. Additionally, for healthcare systems, this offering can potentially translate to a lower overall financial burden as well."

The closing of the transaction is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2016.