Afferent Strikes a Good Deal with Stryker
Executive Summary
In January, Stryker made an equity investment in neurostimulation start-up Afferent, operating in stroke rehabilitation. The deal is part of Stryker's growth plans to invest in emerging markets that are adjacent to core business segments. For Afferent, the partnership is validation of its unique platform, which stimulates afferent (incoming) rather than efferent (outgoing) nerve centers.
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Where are They Now? Yesterday's Stroke Companies
In May 2000, START-UP profiled five medical device companies targeting stroke, in an article entitled "Making Progress in Stroke." We recently revisited Radiant Medical, Medivance, MicroVention, and two others to find out what went according to plan and what didn't In 2007, we have to say that there has in fact not been much progress, at least in acute ischemic stroke. Two companies dropped out, two remain active with promising programs--in clinical areas other than stroke, and one, which avoided ischemic stroke in the first place, enjoyed a nice exit.