Heart valve progress

RUA have announced an earlier than expected update on the testing of its Elast-Eon-coated tri-leaflet artificial heart valve from its pilot pulsatile flow program. This testing is meant to simulate not just the flow of blood through the valve, but the viscous patterns that occur during the opening and closing of the valve, in the simulation of typical natural conditions. Not only have the minimum ISO Standard performance requirements been easily surpassed, but there were indications of reproducibility and ease of manufacture.

Our valuation has only marginally changed for the US dollar/sterling exchange rate on the risk-adjusted value of the future acquisition of RUA’s heart valve, patch and graft products and is a minor change. Our fair value, which has not been changed by the progress recently reported on the heart valve product is £112.3m or 765p per share.