Abiomed and Shockwave Medical just got a little bit closer. Recently the two companies announced that Danvers, MA-based Abiomed and one of the MDDI 2017 company finalists would be investing about $15 million in Shockwave. In addition, the two firms would be working on a training and education program in the U.S. and Germany focused on the benefits of complementary use of their respective technologies.

Fremont, CA-based Shockwave has developed an intravascular lithotripsy technology that employs sonic pressure waves to safely crack vascular calcium within the vessel wall, which enables arteries to expand under low pressure and become more compliant. The firm received a nod from FDA in 2016 to market its technology.

Currently the Shockwave M⁵ catheter is being used in patients with heavily calcified Iliac arteries in order to facilitate the transfemoral delivery of sophisticated devices with catheters, including transcatheter heart valves and Abiomed’s Impella. IVL enables this patient group to benefit from these life-saving therapies when they would otherwise be ineligible for the procedure or would be at increased risk for procedural complications. In Europe, Shockwave also markets its coronary catheter – Shockwave C² – which is used to treat severely calcified de novo coronary artery disease.

“We are delighted to be able to offer patients our solution in combination with Abiomed’s Impella technology using a minimally invasive approach, which should meaningfully improve outcomes,” Doug Godshall, president and CEO of Shockwave Medical, said in a release. “With Abiomed’s best-in-class approach to training and education, Shockwave will be able to more efficiently increase awareness and introduce IVL to customers, which we believe will help them better treat their most challenging patients. We are encouraged to see the positive clinical response we have witnessed to date.”

Abiomed picked up the Impella technology when it acquired Aachen, Germany-based Impella CardioSystems AG in 2005.