Medical Devices Today

Noninvasive Body Contouring Begins to Take Shape

Article preview from Medtech Insight - January 1, 2011

Medtech start-ups are jumping aboard the lucrative fat reduction trend, and all signs point to a boom in this market in the coming years. Despite the sluggish economy, consumers are still willing to pay out of pocket for procedures that enhance their looks. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 12.5 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the US in 2009. That's down 1% from 2008, but up 69% from the start of this decade.

Hologic Buys Interlace Medical, Acquires Missing Link In Gynecology Surgery

Article preview from IN VIVO - January, 2011

Gynecologists generally have the opportunity to perform in-office procedures for three indications: abnormal uterine bleeding, permanent contraception and uterine fibroids. Hologic had supplied its 460 medical device reps in the US - the largest force in women's health - with the tools to perform two of these procedures, but couldn't offer the third piece of the puzzle, an in-office treatment for fibroids, a gap which, until now, hasn't been filled by any product on the market. Hologic is filling in the missing piece with the acquisition of privately held Interlace Medical, a start-up developing MyoSure, a minimally invasive resection device for submucosal fibroids.

Republicans Renew Push To Repeal Device Tax; Broad Support Questionable

Article preview from "The Gray Sheet" - January 31, 2011

Republicans in Congress introduced bills last week that would repeal the medical device excise tax before it takes effect in 2013, but few Democrats have jumped on board publicly so far.

Hospitals Up the Ante in Device Purchasing Decisions

Article preview from Medtech Insight - December 01, 2010

In many US hospitals, materials, purchasing, and supply chain executives often have the clout to influence thumbs-up or thumbs-down decisions on most new products that enter the building. That is one major reason why medical device manufacturers are waking up to the fact that so-called "me-too" items and minor upgrades to existing products aren't as acceptable to hospitals as they once were. But in the evolving market in materials office supplies, smart manufacturers with a clear path to working alongside materials executives offer products that keep costs down, add to patient safety, and enhance patient care.

Medical Device and In Vitro Diagnostics/Research Deal Statistics Quarterly, Q2 2010

Article preview from In-Vivo -October, 2010

Highlights from the Q1 2010 review of medical device and in vitro diagnostics/research dealmaking: With most of the funding in the form of venture rounds, medical device financing totaled $548 million in the second quarter, a 10% drop from Q1. Device acquisitions picked up, with 18 transactions completed for an aggregate $4.4 billion. Including GenMark's IPO, the first done in the sector since November 2007, in vitro diagnostic/research financing more than doubled Q1's dollar volume, reaching $364 million in the second quarter. The four IVD/Research acquisitions done in Q2 totalled $226 million.

Barrx Medical: Making A Case For Ablation

Article preview from In-Vivo -October, 2010

Barrx Medical set out seven years ago to compile enough clinical trial data to prove not only that ablation is a safe and effective way of treating Barrett's esophagus, but also that is cheaper than endoscopic surveillance. Its patience is beginning to pay off.

Robots In The Cath Lab -- Is This The Future Of PCI?

Article preview from In-Vivo -October, 2010

Robotic-driven technology has begun to transform surgery, but not without leaving some surgeons unimpressed. Now Corindus is trying to bring robots to the cath lab -- and this time physicians love the technology because it provides an ergonomically better experience and both enhances the procedure and reduces health problems.

Asthmatx Acquisition By Boston Scientific Is Source of Many Happy Returns

Article preview from In-Vivo -October, 2010

Boston Scientific's acquisition of Asthmatx marks a return of the company to the field of strategic buyers with the deal, and in picking Asthmatx, BSX is is reversing a decision it made two years when it sold off its strategic stake in the asthma-device company.

Deals in Depth: June/July 2010

Article preview from In-Vivo - September, 2010

Front-runners for June alliances were J&J's $586 million respiratory deal with Orexo and Bayer Schering's cancer partnership with OncoMed valued at about $540 million. Leading the pack for biopharma M&A was Grifol's $3.4 billion bid (plus $600 million in debt) for privately owned Talecris. In financings, both biopharma and device companies were busy raising private money, bringing in over $1.3 billion in June and July (compared with only $157 million in public sales).

Welsh Carson Sits in K2M Driver's Seat

Article preview from In-Vivo - September, 2010

With the backing of the private equity powerhouse Welsh Carson, K2M will look to grow beyond its historical niche in complex spinal cases, though it will have to do so without any financial ties to the surgeons who once owned part of the company.