Philips and HeartFlow Announce Global Collaboration Agreement
Global Collaboration Aims to Accelerate Access to Tools to Determine Extent of
Coronary Artery Disease and Improve Patient Care
a collaboration agreement with the goal of improving access to diagnostic and planning tools
for interventional cardiologists evaluating and treating patients with suspected coronary
artery disease (CAD). Under the agreement, Philips will promote the use of the HeartFlow®
FFRct Analysis in conjunction with Philips’ advanced catheters for imaging and assessing
measurements of the inside of a patient’s coronary arteries. The advanced catheters from
Philips that will be promoted in conjunction with HeartFlow’s technology include Philips’
coronary fractional flow reserve (FFR), instant wave-free ratio (iFR) and intravascular
ultrasound (IVUS) solutions.
Philips and HeartFlow’s commercial collaboration will initially focus on the United States, with
the intention to expand joint efforts globally in the near term. The two companies are also
exploring further collaborations in diagnostic imaging and advanced informatics.
The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is the first and only commercially available non-invasive
technology to provide insight into both the extent of CAD and the impact of the disease on
blood flow to the heart. Data from a patient’s non-invasive coronary CT angiogram are
securely uploaded from the hospital’s system to the cloud. HeartFlow leverages deep
learning to create a personalized, digital 3D model of a patient’s coronary arteries, which is
then analyzed by powerful computer algorithms to evaluate millions of complex equations to
simulate blood flow in the model and assess the impact of blockages on coronary blood flow.
The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis technology provides results to the clinician via a secure web
interface. To date, more than 13,000 patients have benefitted from the HeartFlow FFRct
Analysis [1].
In the United States, 16.8 million people are affected by CAD, which develops when the
coronary arteries narrow, reducing blood flow to the heart [2]. CAD causes chest pain and
heart attack and can lead to death. As part of a standard protocol, many of these patients are
referred to the cardiac cath-lab where more than half are discharged on medicines or non-
treatment. Improvements in the non-invasive space have the potential to allow physicians to
safely defer invasive testing, reducing risks to the patient and the overall cost of care for all.
“Our commitment is to transform the patient experience and identify pathways that are
personalized, high quality and at a lower price point,” said Christopher Barys, Business
Leader of Philips Image Guided Therapy Devices. “To address the burden that CAD is
placing on healthcare systems and to transform the patient experience, hospitals are focused
on adopting new technology that can improve the diagnosis and care of these patients while
reducing unnecessary invasive procedures. HeartFlow shares our mission of improving
clinical outcomes and, through collaboration, we can advance our goal of helping healthcare
providers decide, guide, treat and confirm the right therapy at the point of care.”
In addition to the commercial collaboration agreement between Philips and HeartFlow, the
two companies have entered into an exclusive agreement to co-develop an improved cath-
lab x-ray image derived FFR or iFR solution, to significantly enhance workflow while
improving the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of patients with CAD.
“Our collaboration agreement with Philips, which has an integrated solution within cath-labs,
will help bring HeartFlow’s technology to more patients with suspected and potentially life-
threatening CAD,” said John H. Stevens, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of
HeartFlow. “We look forward to continuing to address unmet needs in cardiology in
collaboration with Philips to further support our goal of improving patient lives and reducing
the total cost of care.”
Philips’ seamlessly integrated solutions, such as CORE IVUS and SyncVision, are valuable
tools in the diagnosis of CAD. The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis, is an additional diagnostic tool
that expands clinicians’ capabilities.
[1] Douglas PS, DeBruyne B, Pontone G., Patel MR, et al. One-year outcomes of FFRCT-
guided care in patients with suspected coronary disease: The PLATFORM Study. J Am
Coll Cardiol. 2016;68 (5),435-45.
For more information, please contact:
Philips:
Alicia Cafardi
Philips Group Press Office
Tel: +1 412-523-9616
E-mail: Alicia.Cafardi@philips.com
HeartFlow:
Chris B. Ernst
HeartFlow, Inc.
Tel: +1 415-710-9445
E-mail: cernst@heartflow.com
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on
improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from
healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages
advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-
guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and
home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and
employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100
About HeartFlow, Inc.
HeartFlow, Inc. is transforming the way cardiovascular disease is diagnosed and treated.
The company’s HeartFlow® FFRct Analysis is the first available non-invasive solution that
enables a physician to more appropriately evaluate whether an individual has significant
coronary artery disease (CAD) based on both anatomy and physiology. The HeartFlow
FFRct Analysis, which leverages deep learning to create a personalized 3D model of the
patient’s arteries, is well positioned to become an integral part of the standard of care for
patients who are at risk for CAD because of its potential to improve both clinical outcomes
and the patient experience while reducing the cost of care. The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is
commercially available in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. For more