Santé Ventures (Santé), an early-stage healthcare and life sciences investment firm, has announced the acquisition of its Fund III portfolio company, Laminar, Inc., by Johnson & Johnson Medtech. The purchase was completed with an upfront payment of US$400 million and additional clinical and regulatory milestone payments expected in 2024 and beyond. As Laminar’s sole venture capital investor, Santé played an essential role in helping develop the company’s novel approach to eliminating the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with non-valvular AFib. Laminar will join Johnson & Johnson MedTech as part of Biosense Webster, Inc. – a global leader in cardiac arrhythmia treatment.

Latham & Watkins advised Laminar in the acquisition with a corporate deal team led by Boston partners Hans Brigham and Evan Smith, and counsel Stefanie Vincent, with associates Michael Casagrande, Jake Hummer, and Galina Vujovic. Advice was also provided on IP matters by Boston partner Sarah Gagan, with associate Arun Mohan; on data privacy matters by Bay Area partner Heather Deixler, with associate Mitch Bennett*, on tax matters by Bay Area partner Grace Lee, with associate Derek Gumm; on benefits matters by Boston partner Josh Friedman, with associate Alisa Hand; on employment matters by Chicago associate Laura Waller; on healthcare regulatory matters by Bay Area partner Betty Pang; on FDA regulatory matters by Washington, D.C. partner John Manthei and counsel Chad Jennings, with associate Seth Olson; and on antitrust matters by Washington, D.C. partner Mandy Reeves, Bay Area partner Josh Holian, Brussels partner Hector Armengod, and Washington, D.C. counsel Patrick English.