PARIS – April 2020 was a milestone month for the key players in interventional cardiology in France. The reimbursement system in France is finally opening its doors to the drug-eluting balloon (DEB), following years in the wilderness.

The restrictions on elective surgeries as hospitals struggle to manage the unfolding global pandemic are hitting medical device companies particularly hard. Abiomed Inc., which specializes in a tiny, minimally invasive heart pump to support heart failure patients, saw its first fiscal fourth-quarter revenue flatten as procedures were postponed. Still, U.S. revenue remained stronger than Wall Street had expected, even as ex-U.S. revenue had deeper declines.

Temporary cardiac pacing is often required for hospitalized cardiac patients, particularly for increasingly common transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. Startup Atacor Medical Inc. has raised a $25 million series B round to back its development of a novel extracardiac temporary pacing system. Intriguingly led by an undisclosed corporate partner, the financing is slated to get the company through a U.S. and European pivotal trial, as well as regulatory review in those regions. The San Clemente, Calif.-based startup also aims to continue developing interim and permanent iterations of its system.

Portland, Ore.-based startup Viscardia Inc. has received breakthrough device designation from the FDA for its implantable Visone system to treat moderate to severe heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and preserved ventricular synchrony. The minimally invasive implant works by stimulating a specific portion of the diaphragm.