WorldHeart

About WorldHeart

WorldHeart Corporation was a medical device company focused on developing and manufacturing mechanical circulatory support systems for patients with end-stage heart failure. Initially incorporated in Ottawa, Canada, on April 1, 1996, the company was established to commercialize the "EVAD" artificial heart technologies developed at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. The founding team included Dr. Tofy Mussivand, the inventor behind much of the core technology, and entrepreneur Rod Bryden, who served as the initial chairman and CEO. Dr. Mussivand, an Iranian-Canadian medical engineer, had a remarkable journey from a shepherd in Iran to a celebrated innovator, driven by his unique expertise in both engineering and medicine.

The company's business was centered on designing, developing, and selling ventricular assist devices (VADs), which are implantable pumps that supplement the heart's function. These devices served a critical market of patients with severe heart failure who were often awaiting a heart transplant or had no other treatment options. A key milestone was the acquisition of the Novacor Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) from Edwards Lifesciences in 2000. The Novacor LVAS became one of the first commercially successful devices of its kind, implanted in over 1,800 patients worldwide and holding a record for reliability and long-term support, with one patient living with the device for over six years. The company operated on an international scale, with headquarters and facilities in the U.S. (California and Utah) and the Netherlands, in addition to its Canadian origins.

Over the years, WorldHeart focused on advancing its technology beyond the first-generation pulsatile Novacor. It developed the Levacor VAD, a next-generation magnetically-levitated centrifugal pump designed to be more durable and reduce complications. The company also worked on miniaturized versions like the PediaFlow for infants and the MiFlow for earlier-stage heart failure patients, which could be implanted using minimally invasive techniques. Despite its pioneering work, WorldHeart faced significant financial and operational challenges. The company underwent several restructurings, including significant workforce reductions in 2006 and 2011, and eventually halted the development of its flagship Levacor VAD program due to clinical trial delays. After a complex process of seeking buyers, WorldHeart Corporation was acquired by its competitor, HeartWare International, in August 2012 for approximately $8 million. The acquisition was primarily aimed at HeartWare bolstering its patent portfolio and technology options. Subsequently, HeartWare itself was acquired by Medtronic in 2016, absorbing WorldHeart's legacy into a larger medical technology conglomerate.