Companies

Medtronic is trumpeting quite a landmark with the publication of a first head-to-head randomized controlled trial of “third-generation” durable-polymer drug-eluting stents for the treatment of coronary artery disease in an “all-comers” patient population. Resolute Integrity’s greater longitudinal strength doesn’t seem to play out in better target vessel failure stats.

Shareholder are not always happy campers, but a new press release issued by one of ConMed’s institutional investors has been written in such a coruscatingly damning tone that we thought it worthy of presentation to our audience of cultured types who appreciate a bit of literary creativity. Not sure ConMed will be quite so appreciative.

A changing sales mix, the impact of the US sales tax and ongoing increased provision for potential settlement of outstanding alleged stock fraud all contributed to ArthroCare’s lower than predicted earnings. This, despite healthy top line sales growth in Q3.

Johnson & Johnson is considering a settlement with injured hip implant patients that could total more than $3 billion. Sources close to the matter have told Bloomberg that the company is weighing their options in settling thousands of cases involving DePuy hip implants that have been linked to early failure rates and a host of serious complications.

FDA’s Mitraclip approval now means it’s available in the United States for patients with significant symptomatic degenerative MR who are at prohibitive risk for mitral valve surgery. New data at TCT2013 provides compelling clinical support for the device in this patient group.

Teleflex is on something of a roll at the moment with Q3 revenue figures looking extremely healthy across product ranges and geographies, earnings forecasts increased and a juicy new acquisition in the form of bone-access device specialist, Vidacare, Inc.

Data presented at the TCT2013 symposium indicates that patients with drug-resistant hypertension treated with the EnligHTN™ Multi-Electrode Renal Denervation System averaged a 24 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure as measured in an office setting.

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation is to acquire Covidien’s Confluent Surgical product lines, including surgical sealants, adhesion barrier, and, most significantly, … continue reading “Integra Seals Duraseal™ Deal”

Boston Scientific’s Lotus™ Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant has gained CE Mark approval as a treatment alternative for patients with severe aortic stenosis at high risk with surgical valve replacement.

Q3 revenues for Sorin are somewhat clouded by last year’s earthquake which saw supply of some of its core lines temporarily suspended. A year later and the Italian cardiac device maker is recovering nicely as revenues return to pre-disaster levels and above.

Wright Medical Group, Inc. is to acquire French ortho extremity company Biotech International for $80 million. It says this will significantly expand Wright’s direct sales channel in France and international distribution network and add Biotech’s complementary extremity product portfolio.

Back in March things were looking a little up in the air for MitraClip as the FDA’s circulatory devices panel gave the clever device its thumbs up, despite the FDA’s summary document at the time saying there were still concerns. Seven months on and the device has received its US approval and will launch immediately in the United States.

Silicon Nitride has strong claims to be the perfect implant material. Its characteristics make it suitable for spinal fusion devices, and K2M will now commence distribution of Amedica’s unique device offering in Europe.

Boston Scientific is never far from the news and this week is no exception as the company gains a prestigious award for its recently acquired subcutaneous ICD technology. At the same time news was released that its ongoing restructuring plans are likely to result in up to 1500 job losses.

TCT2013 will see St. Jude Medical, Inc. showcasing its newly FDA approved ILUMIEN™ OPTIS™ PCI Optimization™ System, a new technology designed to provide physicians with a comprehensive disease assessment tool for treating patients with coronary artery disease.

Orthopaedic device giant Biomet, Inc., has trumpeted the first U.S. implantation of its Comprehensive® Nano Stemless Shoulder. The procedure was part of an FDA Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) multi-center prospective clinical study.