Cardiology Pumps Up Terumo's Profits in 2015

The Japanese company's stock is up by nearly a third in value so far this year.

Terumo, as with many medical device companies that fared well in 2015, has a strong cardiovascular business, having acquired some of their assets in this area from 3M in 1999 and UK-based Vascutek Ltd in 2002. Since then, the company's share price has grown steadily for the most part, and the company has acquires a handful of other cardiovascular firms, including MicroVention Inc., the heart valve division of Köhler Chemie GmbH, and Onset Medical Corp.

As of December 16, Terumo stock was up 31% in value for the year on the Tokyo stock exchange. While the answer isn't clear, 2015 certainly seems to be a year when innovation helped produce strong growth for Terumo and other companies in the cardiology sector, while orthopedics did not fare as well.

Terumo also has a strong syringe business.

In 2014, the company made what was the biggest medtech acquisition by a Japanese firm, shelling out $2.6 billion for the U.S. firm CaridianBCT.