medlatest Editorial

The conviction of an ex-Orthofix VP of Sales for violating US anti-kickback laws is a sick-making reminder that our industry is as vulnerable as any other to the lure of filthy lucre.

Two thought-provoking articles about what we can learn from innovations in the developing World.

Medical Device technology success stories happen every day and we take them for granted. This one’s pretty special though as London’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital tells us about a 3 year old boy’s wait for a heart transplant.

It’s all getting a bit heated as Medtronic and St. Jude lock horns again, this time over the Hauser publication in Heart Rhythm journal.

Our own views on how to seat your medtech products in the diverse European market are somewhat harmonious with a new US article. We’ve supplemented the six costly mistakes with a few of our own.

This week’s View From The Med is available for your perusal here. Like a cow chewing the cud, why not spend five minutes enjoying our sideways glance at the main events of the past week?

When it comes to Medical Device Regulation, a balanced assessment without fear nor favour is all we were looking for, so its refreshing to see someone else trying to counter the media frenzy.

Human nature, behavioural economics, call it what you will, but the idea that the NHS can introduce telehealth at GP level with dictats and bungs doesn’t feel like winning management. Is this a good case for GP commissioning?

Fence sitting or balanced view? Must Medtech always be the evil giant in all of this?

View from the Med: Week 13 is a good read… as ever.

Let’s face facts. Medical device regulation is by definition imperfect, however much we fiddle with it. The world’s toughest regulator is apparently a pussycat allowing devices onto the market without such as a by-your-leave. If you believe the so-well-informed media.

Biomet is paying out a lot of money to settle it’s bribery allegations case with US SEC and Justice Department.

This week’s new View from the Med is available to read and reflect on.

Vaginal Mesh problems are going to land at someone’s door and J&J’s looking like a soft target. It transpires the company decided to launch “Prolift” in 2005 as an “insignificant change” to a previous device, so didn’t feel the need to tell FDA about it.

Stryker’s Wingspan Stent is up for FDA panel review on March 23rd. FDA’s Executive Summary, released today doesn’t auger well as results of clinical study don’t seem to support safety and efficacy claims.

We’re not in a bad mood really, but there’s an underlying sense that our industry and its customers could be doing better in adapting itself to the twenty first century.