Berlin Heart: Relief for children with serious coronary diseases

Berlin Heart was founded in 1996 as a spin-off from Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin (DHZB). Initially, the founders developed circulatory support systems for adults, so called ventricular assist devices (VAD). By now, Berlin Heart has been in business for more than twenty years and has grown from a development team to market leader in circulatory support systems for children. The development and improvement of the ventricular assist devices INCOR® and EXCOR®, their approval on international target markets and business set-ups in the USA and Japan have been important milestones on the way. 

Nowadays, the company with headquarters in Berlin-Lankwitz supplies about 50 regional markets in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Berlin Heart has 240 employees, covering all relevant functions of this complex business. Annual sales for 2019 amounted to EUR 25 million. 

Occupation of a market segment: greater mobility for children with coronary diseases 

The company has occupied a segment of the market for ventricular assist devices with its specific product range for children. Every year, around 250 patients are treated with devices supplied by Berlin Heart. 

The company continues to clearly prioritize investments into research and development. Around six years were dedicated to the development of the driving system EXCOR® Active, which has been available since the beginning of 2020. This electro-pneumatic driving unit has the approximate size of a piece of cabin luggage and boasts a battery life of about 7 hours. Compared to the previous stationary driving unit, the device’s weight and volume have been reduced by over 80 percent. This significantly improves the mobility of children with heart diseases and contributes to a successful therapy. EXCOR® Active enables children, waiting for a heart transplant, to play, move and learn. 

Complex medical technology products require specialist knowledge in the development of medical device software 

One of Berlin Heart’s core competencies is the development, verification and approval of safety-critical medical device software. Over the past years, the company has substantially expanded the scope of this competency and the required resources. As a result, Berlin Heart can rely on an experienced and powerful team. Since medical devices increasingly include software-based features and the digitization of products and processes on the health market in general is steadily gaining traction, Berlin Heart has recently spun-off Codialist GmbH. As an affiliate of Berlin Heart, Codialist now offers know-how and expertise in the development and life cycle management of medical devices software to third-party medical products and diagnostics companies. 

Cooperation with renowned partners throughout the world 

Since innovation and ongoing development require a steady flow of new impulses, Berlin Heart relies on international cooperation as well as its own development initiatives. The Berliners are currently developing together with the Swedish company Scandinavian Real Heart a polyurethane-based manufacturing technology for blood contact components. In this project Berlin Heart accompanies the Scandinavians with its expertise and know-how in the development of materials and components for circulatory support systems. This artificial heart is intended for the long term support of patients with terminal cardiac insufficiency. 

Berlin Heart‘s most significant research and development project for the next couple of years is an implantable VAD-system for children, in perspective also for the adult segment. For this project, Berlin Heart cooperates with renowned partners throughout the world. 

Berlin – an innovative and dynamic environment 

Berlin as a location plays a crucial role as well. CEO Sven-René Friedel puts it this way: “We need an innovative and dynamic environment to develop complex medical technology products. Berlin with its renowned research institutions and clinical users close at hand offers the ideal conditions for our company headquarters. In addition, Berlin exerts a strong magnetic pull on talent from a great number of different disciplines.” 

 

Berlin Heart was founded in 1996 as a spin-off from Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin (DHZB). Initially, the founders developed circulatory support systems for adults, so called ventricular assist devices (VAD). By now, Berlin Heart has been in business for more than twenty years and has grown from a development team to market leader in circulatory support systems for children. The development and improvement of the ventricular assist devices INCOR® and EXCOR®, their approval on international target markets and business set-ups in the USA and Japan have been important milestones on the way. 

Nowadays, the company with headquarters in Berlin-Lankwitz supplies about 50 regional markets in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Berlin Heart has 240 employees, covering all relevant functions of this complex business. Annual sales for 2019 amounted to EUR 25 million. 

Occupation of a market segment: greater mobility for children with coronary diseases 

The company has occupied a segment of the market for ventricular assist devices with its specific product range for children. Every year, around 250 patients are treated with devices supplied by Berlin Heart. 

The company continues to clearly prioritize investments into research and development. Around six years were dedicated to the development of the driving system EXCOR® Active, which has been available since the beginning of 2020. This electro-pneumatic driving unit has the approximate size of a piece of cabin luggage and boasts a battery life of about 7 hours. Compared to the previous stationary driving unit, the device’s weight and volume have been reduced by over 80 percent. This significantly improves the mobility of children with heart diseases and contributes to a successful therapy. EXCOR® Active enables children, waiting for a heart transplant, to play, move and learn. 

Complex medical technology products require specialist knowledge in the development of medical device software 

One of Berlin Heart’s core competencies is the development, verification and approval of safety-critical medical device software. Over the past years, the company has substantially expanded the scope of this competency and the required resources. As a result, Berlin Heart can rely on an experienced and powerful team. Since medical devices increasingly include software-based features and the digitization of products and processes on the health market in general is steadily gaining traction, Berlin Heart has recently spun-off Codialist GmbH. As an affiliate of Berlin Heart, Codialist now offers know-how and expertise in the development and life cycle management of medical devices software to third-party medical products and diagnostics companies. 

Cooperation with renowned partners throughout the world 

Since innovation and ongoing development require a steady flow of new impulses, Berlin Heart relies on international cooperation as well as its own development initiatives. The Berliners are currently developing together with the Swedish company Scandinavian Real Heart a polyurethane-based manufacturing technology for blood contact components. In this project Berlin Heart accompanies the Scandinavians with its expertise and know-how in the development of materials and components for circulatory support systems. This artificial heart is intended for the long term support of patients with terminal cardiac insufficiency. 

Berlin Heart‘s most significant research and development project for the next couple of years is an implantable VAD-system for children, in perspective also for the adult segment. For this project, Berlin Heart cooperates with renowned partners throughout the world. 

Berlin – an innovative and dynamic environment 

Berlin as a location plays a crucial role as well. CEO Sven-René Friedel puts it this way: “We need an innovative and dynamic environment to develop complex medical technology products. Berlin with its renowned research institutions and clinical users close at hand offers the ideal conditions for our company headquarters. In addition, Berlin exerts a strong magnetic pull on talent from a great number of different disciplines.”