Edwards CEO Mussallem May Use $360 Million for Deals

Edwards Lifesciences Corp., the largest maker of artificial heart valves, may use its $360 million in cash for purchases of small heart-device makers, Chief Executive Officer Michael Mussallem said.

Edwards has been seen as an acquisition target for years, Mussallem said in an interview at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. Being acquired “is not part of our strategy,” he said. “As an independent company we’ve been able to execute at a high level.”