French implant firm Carmat could seek investors: co-founder

France's Carmat, developer of an artificial heart implanted into its first patient last week, may seek an injection of funds from fresh investors to help tap a potential multi-billion-euro global market, a senior executive said. "We could, at some point, call on new investors," Carmat co-founder Philippe Pouletty was quoted saying by Le Monde newspaper on Saturday. "Our aim, if possible, is to remain independent." The company said after Friday's stock market close it had carried out its first implant of an artificial heart that can beat for up to five years, marking a potential breakthrough for patients with heart conditions. Pouletty told Le Monde that, once put on sale, the 130,000 euro ($177,700) device had a potential market of 100,000 patients in the United States and Europe.



via Health News Headlines - Yahoo News http://news.yahoo.com/french-implant-firm-carmat-could-seek-investors-co-145908058--finance.html