MicroPort was founded in 1998 by Zhaohua Chang, who currently serves as CEO, chairman, and Director.[5] The company rose to prominence from the early success of its coronary stent line due its focus on serving the needs of the Chinese device market.[6][7] It is now one of the top global manufacturers of cardiac interventional devices.[8] Notably, it produces the world's first and only commercially available targeted drug eluting stent system, which uses a significantly reduced amount of drug than traditional drug eluting stents while maintaining effectiveness.[9][10][11][12] As of early 2018, MicroPort is one of few medical device companies still developing a commercial coronary bioresorbable stent with ongoing clinical trials.[13][14][15]
Beginning in the 2010s, MicroPort has rapidly expanded around the world via international acquisitions to other medical device industries, including orthopedics and cardiac rhythm management.[16][17] These acquisitions have been followed up with substantial local investment, including a US$398 Million investment in 2019 to develop pacemakers and defibrillators in France.[18]
In 2022, MicroPort established its US headquarters in Irvine, California with facilities that include a manufacturing base and innovation center.[19] As of 2022, its principal business is valued at over US$6.5 Billion.[20]
Acquisitions
In 2014, MicroPort expanded operations in the United States by acquiring Wright Medical's OrthoRecon business to become the 6th largest international producer of orthopedic devices at the time.[21] MicroPort's orthopedic business is based in Arlington, Tennessee and in 2018 has expanded its business into India.[22]
In 2018, MicroPort and LivaNova closed the sale of LivaNova's cardiac rhythm management business for $190M.[17]
In 2018, MicroPort purchased Lombard Medical, a UK-based endovascular device company, from bankruptcy after it defaulted on loans in early 2018.[23]
In 2021, MicroPort purchased Hemovent GmbH, a German-based manufacturer of extracorporeal life support systems.[24]
^Gao, RL (20 May 2013). "A randomised comparison of a novel abluminal groove-filled biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent with a durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent: clinical and angiographic follow-up of the TARGET I trial". EuroIntervention. 9 (1): 75–83. doi:10.4244/EIJV9I1A12. PMID23685298. S2CID7244124.
