Japanese firm’s U.S. subsidiary will take over SmartPReP systems for concentrating autologous platelets and stem cells.

Terumo’s U.S. subsidiary Terumo Americas is to acquire Harvest Technologies for $70 million, in order to take over the latter’s cellular therapy systems. The point-of-care SmartPReP® 2 BMAC™ system is designed to allow clinicians to process and concentrate cellular components from autologous bone marrow, including stem cells, within 15 minutes.

The firm’s SmartPReP 2 APC+™ platform enables physicians to prepare highly concentrated, autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) enriched with growth factors for stimulating bone and soft tissue wound healing. Harvest claims both systems have shown promising results in the treatment of cardiovascular and peripheral artery disease.

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems already acts as the U.S. distributor for Harvest’s PRP technology, which makes acquisition of the firm “a natural fit into our strategic plan for growth in the vascular industry,” notes Kazuaki Kitabatake, Terumo Americas’ president and CEO.

Harvest is focusing its initial European commercialization efforts for the BMAC system for use in the treatment of critical limb ischemia. The firm says trial data has previously confirmed that using the BMAC system for patients with CLI resulted in a 60% reduction in major amputation. An ongoing study in the U.S. is separately evaluating the BMAC product in cardiac patients undergoing cardiac bypass surgery.

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