Stryker acquires Amplitude Vascular Systems to enter high-growth IVL market

USA—Stryker, a leading medical technology company, is acquiring Amplitude Vascular Systems (AVS) to expand its vascular care offerings and strengthen its presence in the rapidly growing intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) market.

AVS, based in Boston, has developed the Pulse IVL system, which uses pressurised sound waves delivered through a balloon catheter to remove calcium deposits in patients with calcified peripheral artery disease (PAD).

By breaking up these deposits, the technology helps restore normal blood flow in arteries.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted AVS an investigational device exemption in June 2024, paving the way for clinical evaluation.

The company is currently running a POWER PAD 2 trial with 115 patients with moderate-to-severe calcium deposits in their leg arteries.

Neither the acquisition price nor the expected closing date has been made public.

However, this move follows Stryker’s substantial USD 4.9 billion purchase of Inari Medical, a thrombectomy specialist, completed in February 2025.

Kevin Lobo, Stryker’s chief executive, emphasized the strategic importance of the deal.

“This acquisition represents an important step in advancing our vision to build a comprehensive peripheral vascular platform and address significant unmet clinical needs,” he stated.

He added that combining AVS’s innovation with Stryker’s resources and expertise will help doctors offer more treatment options and improve outcomes for patients suffering from calcified peripheral arterial disease.

The competitive landscape heats up

The IVL market has attracted intense competition among the world’s largest medical device manufacturers.

In June 2024, Johnson & Johnson solidified its dominance in a market where Shockwave has been the sole major player since 2015 by acquiring Shockwave Medical for USD13.1 billion.

Following suit, Boston Scientific entered the space through its January 2025 acquisition of Bolt Medical.

Bolt’s system earned FDA clearance just three months later in April 2025.

Abbott also joined the race, receiving an investigational device exemption from the FDA in March 2025 to test its own IVL system designed for coronary use.

Industry analysts predict that both Abbott’s and Boston Scientific’s products may not reach commercial availability until 2028, giving Johnson & Johnson a substantial early advantage in market share and research time.

Meanwhile, Elixir Medical is developing a competing IVL system comparable to AVS’s offering.

The company released positive preliminary safety and effectiveness results for its LithiX Hertz Contact system in May 2024.