Company: BSX
Filing Date: 2025-02-18
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000885725-25-000011
Chunk: 27

Company: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP
Filing Date: 2025-02-18
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 27
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

In addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the exhibits hereto, the following risk factors should be considered carefully in evaluating our business. Our business, financial condition, cash flows or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. This section contains forward-looking statements. You should refer to the explanation of the qualifications and limitations on forward-looking statements set forth at the end of Item 1. Business of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The considerations and risks that follow are organized within relevant headings but may be relevant to other headings as well. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.

Economic, Industry and Geopolitical Risks

We face intense competition and may not be able to keep pace with the rapid technological changes in the medical devices industry, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The medical device markets in which we participate are highly competitive. We encounter significant competition across our product lines and in each market in which our products are sold from various medical device companies. Some of our competitors may have greater financial and marketing resources than we do, including as a result of consolidation among companies in our industry. Our primary competitors include large manufacturers with multiple lines of business and competing products, as well as a wide range of medical device companies that sell a single or limited number of competitive products or which participate in only a specific market segment or segments. We also face competition from non-medical device companies, including pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies and providers of various diagnostic tests, which may offer alternative therapies or diagnostics for disease states also amenable to treatment or diagnosis using our products. New competitors may emerge in the future, potentially including companies introducing new sales or distribution models to our industry or leveraging genomic robotic, navigation, and/or other automation technologies. Digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities, have and may continue to increase in their applicability and importance to various aspects of our business, operating and competitive environments, research and development (R&D) pipeline and product portfolio. We believe we will need to develop new and enhanced digital capabilities and competences in order to remain competitive.

In addition, the medical device markets in which we participate are characterized by extensive research and development and rapid technological change. Developments by other companies of products and/or services, processes or technologies may