Companies

SafeStitch Medical, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with robot-assisted device company TransEnterix, Inc. The collaboration is expected to leverage the strengths of both companies and is accompanied by a $30M private placement to help oil the wheels.

St. Jude Medical, Inc., has seen its MediGuide Enabled™ Ablation Catheters gain U.S. FDA approval. The company is touting reduction in radiation exposure for patients, MediGuide using a previously recorded fluoroscopic map of the target tissue.

Medtronic, Inc. has announced the closing of the acquisition of Cardiocom, a privately held developer and provider of integrated telehealth … continue reading “Medtronic Buys Cardiocom in Broader “Healthcare” Initiative”

Things are undeniably tough, in stateside medtech land. But when the environment changes those that adapt to the brave new world quickly will do best.

Biomedical technology company SetPoint Medical,developing neuromodulation therapies for inflammatory diseases, has secured $27 million in financing from its current investors along with new investors who’s names you might recognise.

Wright Medical Group, Inc. has announced it received a “not approvable” letter from the FDA in response to its Pre-Market Approval application for Augment® Bone Graft for use as an alternative to autograft in hindfoot and ankle fusion procedures.

Following what it calls a “brief period of unavailability following a voluntary recall, Cook Medical is again shipping its Zilver® … continue reading “Cook Medical’s Zilver® PTX® Drug Stent Back in Circulation”

Cook Medical has completed patient enrollment in a study evaluating a technique for achieving vascular access via below-the-knee arteries. The new access technique could be used in treating peripheral arterial disease (PAD), including patients with critical limb ischemia.

The U.S. FDA has cleared Stryker Interventional Spine’s Venom RF Cannula and Venom Electrode, designed to provide an effective and minimally invasive treatment for facet joint pain. Stryker says the 11g iVAS Balloon System addresses the surgical trend of shifting toward less invasive treatment options.

Prostate cancer device specialist Theragenics Corporation®, has signed a definitive merger agreement, which will see all of the outstanding common … continue reading “Theragenics Sells to Investors”

Less than two years ago we were reporting the news that Apnex Medical Inc had gained CE mark approval for … continue reading “Apnex Breathes its Last”

Smith & Nephew plc has announced its results for the second quarter ended 29 June 2013 and the revenue growth … continue reading “Smith & Nephew Results Hold Up Despite Joint Pain”

Kinetic Concepts, Inc.(KCI) is to acquire UK-based Systagenix, an established provider of advanced wound care (AWC) products, for a purchase … continue reading “KCI in Full Growth Mode with Systagenix Acquisition”

Forbes has produced a compellingly straightforward editorial, aimed in part at debunking the myth that the pain of the device … continue reading “Device Tax Gets More Public Airtime”

Abbott has announced that it has received U.S. FDA clearance for its FreeStyle Precision Pro Blood Glucose and β-Ketone Monitoring System™, which it describes as an advanced blood glucose monitoring system designed to address the key needs of hospital customers.

If it’s true that Stryker has suffered from downward pricing pressure, foreign exchange pressure and absorbed recall costs this quarter, it’s perhaps not surprising they sound a bit pessimistic. But restructuring, acquisitions and positive mix changes suggest it’s not all that bad.