Abbott Park, Ill., Jan. 12, 2026 — Abbott today announced a collaboration with AtaCor Medical to advance a next-generation investigational extravascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator (EV-ICD) system designed to deliver defibrillation therapy to people with life-threatening heart rhythms.
AtaCor is a cardiac rhythm management (CRM) company developing extravascular defibrillation technologies designed to reduce risks associated with traditional ICDs. Through the collaboration, AtaCor's investigational parasternal EV-ICD lead (Atala™) will be paired with Abbott's investigational ICD system.
ICDs are implantable devices that physicians place into people at high risk of cardiac arrest and other life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances. A traditional ICD lead is connected to the heart and monitors its rhythm to help detect dangerous irregularities. The Abbott-AtaCor Investigational EV-ICD system is a minimally invasive approach that combines the benefits of traditional ICDs with innovative design improvements, avoiding complications like vascular injury, lead fractures or malfunctions and lead infections. By keeping lead components outside the heart and the vasculature, the approach expects to address long-standing lead management considerations and may reduce the need for complex revisions associated with leads placed through veins and across cardiac structures.
As part of the collaboration, AtaCor plans to initiate a pivotal Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical trial, the ALARION EV Study, in 2026 to evaluate the AtaCor and Abbott investigational parasternal EV-ICD system. AtaCor's Atala™ lead remains outside of the blood vessels and is placed into the body through a rib space adjacent to the left side of the breastbone. In addition to delivering defibrillation shocks, the novel directional lead design is intended to deliver pacing energy toward the heart more efficiently than currently available products.
"Abbott is committed to advancing transformative therapies in cardiac rhythm management," said Randel Woodgrift, senior vice president of Abbott's cardiac rhythm management business. "From Abbott's revolutionary AVEIR™ leadless pacemaker to advances in conduction system pacing (CSP) technologies, and now the potential of the next-generation EV-ICD, Abbott is redefining what's possible to improve patient care worldwide."
"The Abbott-AtaCor Investigational system represents an exciting step forward in cardiac care," said Paul Friedman, M.D., Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. "Its ease of implantation and potential to enable ICD therapy outside the heart while maintaining contact with cardiac tissue stands to offer an important novel therapeutic option for patients in need of life-saving protection."
This collaboration reflects Abbott's dedication to bringing forward cutting-edge CRM innovation that meets evolving clinical needs. With a customer-centric mindset, Abbott delivers simpler, smarter therapies that enable physicians to treat more individuals and help people live life to the fullest.
For more information about Abbott's CRM business, visit: https://www.cardiovascular.abbott/us/en/hcp/products/cardiac-rhythm-management.html.
About Abbott:
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
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