Tokyo: Nipro Corporation, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire US headquartered Infraredx Inc., an intravascular imaging company committed to advancing the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease globally.

Nipro Corporation offers products and technologies that meet the needs of patients and medical professionals in a wide range of fields, such as artificial organs, circulatory devices, test/diagnostic agents, injection/infusion solutions, ethical pharmaceuticals, and medical glass products. The acquisition, which is subject to certain conditions, is expected to close in October 2015.

The agreement combines the strengths of Nipro Corporation and Infraredx, by leveraging Nipro's strong global cardiovascular portfolio and resources along with Infraredx's industry expertise in near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and intravascular ultrasound. The agreement will help introduce Nipro's cardiovascular product line into the United States, and continue Infraredx's mission to empower interventional cardiologists with the advanced imaging tools required to predict heart attacks and prevent them-catalyzing a global shift from reactive treatment to proactive care of coronary artery disease.

"Company founder James E Muller, MD, and the Infraredx management team have empowered interventional cardiologists with the NIRS-IVUS imaging system, which is approved to detect the lipid-core plaques that cause most heart attacks," said Yoshihiko Sano, President, Nipro. "Nipro and Infraredx share a strong patient centered focus and the combination of the companies' global portfolio and cardiovascular expertise will help us deliver the most comprehensive imaging solution available to change how cardiovascular disease is managed. We look forward to bringing together the two companies to deliver the best of medicine and innovation."

"By teaming up with one of the leading global medical equipment manufacturing companies in the world, Infraredx is able to leverage Nipro's global network and vast resources to enhance its presence and impact a larger audience locally as well globally," said Jason Bottiglieri, President and CEO of Infraredx. "We are pleased to combine our strengths to meet the demands of the marketplace and continue to deliver to the medical community cardiovascular imaging systems that hold the potential to revolutionize the management of cardiovascular disease."