St. Jude Medical

What St. Jude Medical does

St. Jude Medical was a US-headquartered, Fortune 500 medical device company founded in 1976 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, specializing in cardiovascular and neuromodulation technologies. Its core product portfolio spanned heart failure devices, cardiac ablation systems, mechanical heart valves (including the SJM Masters Series), neuromodulation implants (notably the Dorsal Root Ganglion spinal cord stimulator), vascular care products, and structural heart solutions. The company's underlying technology centered on Class III implantable electromechanical devices and, more recently, leadless pacemakers (via the Nanostim acquisition) and wireless physiologic monitoring (via CardioMEMS). Notable technical components included mechanical valve durability engineering, contact force-sensing ablation catheters, and DRG-targeted neuromodulation for complex regional pain syndrome.

St. Jude Medical generated revenue primarily through direct hardware sales to hospitals, cardiac care centers, and cardiovascular specialists via an enterprise field sales motion. Products were sold to five distinct customer segments: cardiovascular healthcare providers, electrophysiology specialists, vascular surgeons, structural heart interventionalists, and pain management physicians. Pricing was contract-negotiated through hospital procurement rather than publicly disclosed, consistent with standard medical device commercial practice. Revenue scaled to approximately $6 billion in 2015, reflecting both organic portfolio breadth and a sustained acquisition program that added Thoratec ($3.4B), CardioMEMS ($455M), Nanostim ($123.5M), Endosense ($170M), and Spinal Modulation between 2013 and 2015.

In 2016 Abbott Laboratories announced an agreement to acquire St. Jude Medical for approximately $25 billion, and the transaction closed in 2017. St. Jude Medical now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abbott, with its products marketed through Abbott's Cardiovascular division. Leadership at the time of acquisition included Michael T. Rousseau as President and CEO, Christopher G. Chavez as President of the Neuromodulation Division, and Eric Fain as President of the Implantable Electronic Systems Division. The company no longer trades independently (previously NYSE: STJ).

Name

St. Jude Medical

Legal name

Abbott Laboratories

Website

http://www.sjm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

St. Jude Medical was a Fortune 500 cardiovascular and neuromodulation medical device company (founded 1976) that sold implantable heart valves, cardiac ablation systems, heart failure monitors, and pain stimulators to hospitals and specialists. Acquired by Abbott in 2017 for approximately $25 billion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cardiovascular Medical Devices

NAICS

Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural Heart Valves (TAVR/SAVR) & Valve Repair (HLAHAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cardiac Assist & Heart Failure Therapies (Implantables, Neuromodulation) (HLAHAFAL), Mechanical Circulatory Support (VAD, IABP, ECMO) (HLAHAFAG)

Keywords

• Cardiovascular medical devices
• Mechanical heart valves
• Cardiac ablation systems
• Neuromodulation devices
• Heart failure therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Cardiovascular Medical Device Sales: St. Jude Medical generated revenue through the sale of medical devices including heart failure devices, cardiac ablation products, mechanical heart valves, neuromodulation devices, and vascular care products sold to hospitals and healthcare providers.
2. Related Medical Device Products: Revenue from complementary products in heart failure, arrhythmias, vascular disease, and structural heart categories.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

St. Jude Medical manufactured and sold cardiovascular medical devices spanning heart failure devices, cardiac arrhythmia management products (including ablation systems), mechanical and prosthetic heart valves, neuromodulation devices for chronic pain, and vascular care products. Devices were sold directly to hospitals, cardiac care centers, electrophysiology practices, and cardiovascular specialists through enterprise field sales.

Product overview

St. Jude Medical, now part of Abbott following its 2017 acquisition, offers a portfolio of cardiovascular medical devices including the SJM Masters Series Mechanical Heart Valve for valve replacement procedures. The company historically specialized in heart failure, arrhythmias, vascular disease, and structural heart products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SJM™ Masters Series: Mechanical heart valve product line manufactured by St. Jude Medical/Abbott.

Products and services

• SJM Masters Series Mechanical Heart Valve The SJM Masters Series Mechanical Heart Valve is a prosthetic heart valve designed to replace a diseased or damaged natural heart valve and maintain proper blood flow through the heart. It is intended for patients requiring valve replacement, with engineering focused on long-term durability and reliability, including use in younger patients who can return to active lifestyles such as competitive athletics.
• Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) Spinal Cord Stimulator DRG Spinal Cord Stimulator is an implanted neuromodulation device used by pain management physicians to treat complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and other chronic pain conditions when conventional treatments fail. The system targets the dorsal root ganglion and has enabled patients with chronic CRPS pain to regain mobility and function, in some cases within a week of implantation.
• Heart Failure Devices Mechanical circulatory support and heart failure therapy devices used by cardiologists and cardiac surgeons at hospitals and cardiac care centers to treat and manage advanced heart failure in patients.
• Cardiac Ablation Products Cardiac ablation devices, cardiac mapping systems, and visualization systems used by electrophysiologists and cardiac arrhythmia specialists to diagnose and treat cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AFib).
• Vascular Care Products Vascular disease intervention and treatment products used by vascular surgeons and specialists to treat peripheral vascular disease.
• Remote Monitoring Systems Remote monitoring systems for cardiovascular patients that enable healthcare providers to track patients with chronic heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions outside of clinical settings, supporting ongoing disease management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Patient Zeke Mankins returned to competitive track athletics after receiving mechanical heart valve
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AbbottcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Abbott completed its acquisition of St. Jude Medical in 2017, creating one of the world's premier medical-device companies with leading positions across virtually every aspect of cardiovascular care. Abbott's dedicated integration team (ATO) contributed to company revenue growth with stock up 85% since 2017 and market cap nearly quadrupled since 2013.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Nevro: Nevro manufactures spinal cord stimulation devices for chronic pain, directly competing with St. Jude's neuromodulation/spinal cord stimulation franchise and targeting overlapping pain management specialists and patient indications.
• Inspire Medical Systems: Inspire is an emerging neuromodulation player focused on hypoglossal nerve stimulation for sleep apnea, addressing the same neuromodulation specialist customer base that St. Jude serves and representing a credible adjacent competitor as the space expands.

Direct peers

• Edwards Lifesciences: Edwards is the leading structural heart company (TAVR/surgical heart valves) and competes head-to-head with St. Jude's SJM Masters Series Mechanical Heart Valve franchise and broader structural heart offerings to cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists.
• Medtronic: Medtronic is the largest pure-play medical device company and a direct competitor across cardiac rhythm management, structural heart, heart failure, and neuromodulation, addressing the same hospital buyer (electrophysiologists, cardiac surgeons, pain specialists) with overlapping product portfolios.
• Boston Scientific: Boston Scientific directly competes with St. Jude's inherited franchises in cardiac rhythm management, electrophysiology/catheter ablation, structural heart, and peripheral vascular interventions, serving the same hospital cardiology customer base.
• Abiomed: Abiomed is a leading mechanical circulatory support (VAD/Impella) company, directly comparable to St. Jude's Thoratec VAD business acquired in 2015 and serving the same heart failure and cardiogenic shock patient populations.
• LivaNova: LivaNova develops neuromodulation devices (including VNS for epilepsy and depression) and cardiac surgery products, directly overlapping with St. Jude's neuromodulation (DRG/spinal cord stimulation) and structural heart positions.
• CryoLife: CryoLife (now Artivion) specializes in surgical heart valves and cardiac tissue products, directly comparable to St. Jude's mechanical heart valve and structural heart surgical portfolios sold to cardiac surgeons.
• Johnson & Johnson (Biosense Webster): Johnson & Johnson's Biosense Webster division is the global leader in electrophysiology/catheter ablation, directly competing with St. Jude's cardiac arrhythmia and ablation franchises for electrophysiologist customers.

Broad incumbents

• Abbott Laboratories: Abbott acquired St. Jude Medical in 2017 for ~$25B and now owns and operates St. Jude's cardiovascular franchises within its broader cardiovascular and medical device portfolio, making it both parent and the most relevant large incumbent comparable.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SJMjobs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st--jude-medical

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A16 records

Investments6 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Jude Medical