Medical Device Week articles from January 2008

Medical Device Week archives from January 2008

Holiday notice.
January 2, 2008... Holiday notice The offices of Medical Device Daily were closed yesterday in observance of the New Year's Day holiday and no issue was published that day. SOURCE-Medical Device Daily

The year that was, wasn't, for med-tech, a blockbuster.
January 2, 2008... Good-bye to 2007 The year that was, wasn't, for med-tech, a blockbuster By DON LONG Medical Device Daily Executive Editor End of the year -- a year in which not all that much happened in med-tech that couldn't have been...

Report from Europe.
January 2, 2008... Report from Europe CE mark won for iRenalGuard, PLC plans 1Q08 launch in Italy A Medical Device Daily Staff Report PLC Systems (Franklin, Massachusetts) reported receipt of the CE mark for its RenalGuard System, clearing the way...

Deals roundup.
January 2, 2008... Deals roundup Stryker picks up Curis' BMP-7 program where Ortho left off By TRISTA MORRISON Medical Device Daily Staff Writer and MDD Staff Reports Curis (Cambridge, Massachusetts) has licensed its bone morphogenetic...

Agreements roundup.
January 2, 2008... Agreements roundup Luminetx and Amerinet in pact to deliver VeinViewer imaging A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Luminetx (Memphis) reported it has signed a three-year vendor contract with Amerinet (St. Louis), a group purchasing...

Today's MDD food for med-tech thought.
January 2, 2008... Today's MDD food for med-tech thought ... 2008... will be a year that continues the push toward the most amazing decade of all for med-tech in the 21st century -- years 2011 to 2020. -- From MDD News analysis, "The year that was,...

People in Places.(CytoCore Inc. appoints Augusto Ocana as president of International Operations)(Brief article)
January 2, 2008... People in Places * CytoCore (Chicago) reported the appointment of Augusto Ocana, MD, JD, as president of International Operations. Ocana has been associated with CytoCore for over a year. Prior to joining CytoCore, his previous positions...

Product Briefs.(Baxa Corp. introduces MedBoard web-based medication tracking system)(Third Wave Technologies achieves the subject enrollment goals for products clinical trial)(Brief article)
January 2, 2008... Product Briefs * Baxa (Englewood, Colorado) reported the launch of the MedBoard web-based medication tracking system, designed to record pharmacy preparation and delivery activities. MedBoard helps health systems improve productivity...

Financings roundup.
January 2, 2008... Financings roundup MedPro Safety closes on $13M, is merged with Dentalserv.com A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Vision Opportunity Master Fund (New York), a private equity firm, and MedPro Safety Products (Lexington, Kentucky),...

Grants.(Disease/Disorder overview)
January 2, 2008... Grants $6.8M for DISCOVER Centers to explore environmental ills A Medical Device Daily Staff Report The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a unit of the National Institutes of Health, reported that it will...

Abiomed provides update on its European strategy for growth.
January 3, 2008... Abiomed provides update on its European strategy for growth By AMANDA PEDERSEN Medical Device Daily Staff Writer Abiomed (Danvers, Massachusetts) rang in year 2008 by issuing an update to its European strategy to drive growth by...

BD's new FDA-cleared MRSA test gives results in 2 hours.
January 3, 2008... BD's new FDA-cleared MRSA test gives results in 2 hours By OMAR FORD Medical Device Daily Staff Writer We've all no doubt heard of numerous applications from med-tech companies that can stop the spread of methicillin-resistant...

International report.
January 3, 2008... International report 1st pan-Asian Colorectal Cancer Congress is being organized A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Radiology experts from China, Korea, Japan and the UK convened as a steering committee group in London last month...

Deals roundup.(Company overview)
January 3, 2008... Deals roundup Allscripts to buy ECIN for $90M; Staar adds j-v assets for $10.8M A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Allscripts (Chicago), a provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions used by physicians,...

Washington roundup.
January 3, 2008... Washington roundup FDA spending bill mandates public access to NIH research By MARK McCARTY Medical Device Daily Washington Editor Publication rights to peer-reviewed articles based on research that is funded in whole or in...

Today's MDD food for med-tech thought.
January 3, 2008... Today's MDD food for med-tech thought "Congress has just unlocked the taxpayers' $29 billion investment in NIH." -- Heather Joseph, of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, commenting on a new mandate to make...

Financings roundup.
January 3, 2008... Financings roundup Paradigm closes $1M in funding to be for new product launches A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Paradigm Medical Industries (Salt Lake City), maker of glaucoma diagnostic and management devices, reported that...

Court report.
January 3, 2008... Court report Recall of Fidelis leads continues to grow list of liability lawsuits A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Still another class action lawsuit has been filed against Medtronic (Minneapolis) on behalf of all Californians...

Briefly Noted.(Brief article)
January 3, 2008... Briefly Noted MZT not listing with other exchange MZT Holdings (Newton, Massachusetts), f/k/a/ Matritech, said that it has not arranged for listing and/or registration on another national securities exchange or for quotation of its...

Product Briefs.
January 3, 2008... Product Briefs * Echo Therapeutics (Franklin, Massachusetts) said that it has started the second clinical study of its current Symphony continuous transdermal glucose monitoring system (CTGM System) at the Tufts-New England Medical Center....

People in Places.(Barnev Inc. appoints John Quigley as vice-president)(Hill Rom Company Inc. appoint Jeff Kao and Greg Tucholski)
January 3, 2008... People in Places * John Quigley has been named VP of marketing for Barnev (Andover, Massachusetts). Previously, Quigley was VP of marketing for Matritech. Barnev makes BirthTrack, a continuous labor monitoring system. * Hill-Rom...

Deals roundup.(Company overview)
January 4, 2008... Deals roundup Exactech adds Altiva for $25M; Polyone completes buy of GLS By OMAR FORD Medical Device Daily Staff Writer Exactech (Gainsville, Florida), an orthopedic device manufacturer, reported closing on the acquisition of...

Study: Delays for in-hospital defibrillation prove deadly.
January 4, 2008... Study: Delays for in-hospital defibrillation prove deadly A Medical Device Daily Staff Report If you're going to have a cardiac arrest -- the type best treated with an automated cardioverter defibrillator -- you may assume that it's...

Report from Europe.
January 4, 2008... Report from Europe Medical Simulation in launch of Edwards training program A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Medical Simulation (Denver), a provider of medical training and education services, said it has launched the Edwards...

Financings roundup.
January 4, 2008... Financings roundup Alma files for IPO up to $86M; Gelesis garners first-round $16M By HOLLAND JOHNSON Medical Device Daily Managing Editor Alma Lasers (Caesarea, Israel), a maker of non-invasive energy-based aesthetic...

Washington roundup.
January 4, 2008... Washington roundup CBO says inflation, not aging, is largest Medicare cost driver By MARK McCARTY Medical Device Daily Washington Editor Washington -- Among the more popular sports in policy circles is the healthcare cost...

Today's MDD food for med-tech thought.
January 4, 2008... Today's MDD food for med-tech thought The percentage of GDP expended on healthcare may balloon to 31% by 2035 and to 49% by 2082. -- An estimation of increasing costs of healthcare in the U.S., from a 75-year forecast report issued by...

Court report.(Brief article)
January 4, 2008... Court report KCI sues Innovative Therapies, claiming trade secret theft A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Kinetic Concepts (KCI; San Antonio) reported it has filed suit in state District Court in Bexar County, Texas, against...

Agreements.
January 4, 2008... Agreements Accelr8, other groups team for antibiotic resistance research A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Accelr8 Technology (Denver) reported it has started joint research programs with Washington University School of Medicine...

Contract news.(Brief article)
January 4, 2008... Contract news Health Management to provide services to New Jersey program A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Health Management Systems (HMS; New York) said it has won a competitive procurement to continue to provide revenue...

Siemens gets FDA marketing warning.(Brief article)
January 4, 2008... Siemens gets FDA marketing warning Siemens (Munich, Germany) was warned by FDA that it must stop marketing an unapproved device used to evaluate the risk of heart disease. The Syngo Arterial Health Package, promoted for use with...

Briefly Noted.
January 4, 2008... Briefly Noted Fibroid study shows positive data Three-year data from the largest, multi-center, prospective voluntary registry on any procedure for benign uterine fibroids showed that 90% of the women participating avoided a...

Patent watch.(Brief article)
January 4, 2008... Patent watch AcuNetx receives 2 patents for HawkEye law enforcement unit A Medical Device Daily Staff Report AcuNetx (Torrance, California) reported that its HawkEye law enforcement system, manufactured and marketed under an...

People in Places.
January 4, 2008... People in Places * Henry Schein (Melville, New York) reported the appointment of Michael Racioppi to senior VP and chief merchandising officer, a newly created position. Assuming Racioppi's previous position as president of Henry Schein's...

Product Briefs.(Escalon Medical Corp. introduces Master-VU ophthalmic B-scan ultrasound system)(Varian Medical Systems Inc. receives FDA clearances for its RapidArc radiotherapy technology)
January 4, 2008... Product Briefs * Escalon Medical (Wayne, Pennsylvania) reported that its Sonomed subsidiary has received FDA clearance for the Master-VU ophthalmic B-scan ultrasound system. The system consists of a B-scan probe that can be interfaced to a...

xTAG (RVP) assay from Luminex promises quick viral detection.
January 7, 2008... xTAG (RVP) assay from Luminex promises quick viral detection By OMAR FORD Medical Device Daily Staff Writer The viruses that cause respiratory infections are notoriously difficult for physicians to identify. Traditional testing...

Deals roundup.
January 7, 2008... Deals roundup ArthoCare buys DiscoCare for $25M, confronts recent rumors AMANDA PEDERSEN Medical Device Daily Staff Writer ArthroCare (Austin, Texas), a manufacturer of minimally invasive surgical products, said it has...

International report.
January 7, 2008... International report Three-phase accord for China is signed by Organogenesis A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Organogenesis (Canton, Massachusetts) said last month that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with China's...

ImaRx halts stroke study, butdata backs follow-on research.
January 7, 2008... Cause of hemmorage events unclear ImaRx halts stroke study, butdata backs follow-on research By LYNN YOFFEE Medical Device Daily Staff Writer ImaRx Therapeutics (Tucson, Arizona) last week reported passing a major hurdle in...

Financings roundup.
January 7, 2008... Financings roundup Helicos closes on $20M facility; Arbel looking to raise over $6M A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Helicos BioSciences (Cambridge, Massachusetts) reported that it has closed a $20 million senior secured credit...

Today's MDD food for med-tech thought.
January 7, 2008... Today's MDD food for med-tech thought "In fact, 68% of 'wired' seniors surf for health and medical information when they go online." -- From an NIH statement concerning a new website highlighting clinical trial risks and benefits, "NIH...

Washington roundup.
January 7, 2008... Washington Roundup NIH launches site for seniors interested in clinical trials A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Medicare's approach to clinical trial reimbursement has garnered a lot of attention of late, but participants in...

Briefly Noted.(Disease/Disorder overview)
January 7, 2008... Briefly Noted Wisconsin to screen newborns for SCID On Jan. 1, Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to screen all newborns for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID). Sometimes known as "Bubble Boy Disease," SCID is a...

Agreements.
January 7, 2008... Agreements Davita, SKI in partnership to offer dialysis, vascular access services A Medical Device Daily Staff Report DaVita (El Segundo, California) reported that it and Southwest Kidney Institute, PLC (SKI; Tempe, Arizona) have...

People in Places.(Giorgio D'Urso resigns from Ivax Diagnostics)(Provista Life Sciences Corp. appoint Louis Kirby)(Thermage Corp. appoints John Glenn as CFO)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... People in Places * Ivax Diagnostics (Miami) reported that Giorgio D'Urso is resigning as president/CEO and as a member of the board, effective Jan. 10. Kevin Clark, company COO since September 2007, has been named acting CEO, effective...

Product Briefs.
January 7, 2008... Product Briefs * CryoCor (San Diego), focused on the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, reported today the publication of a European study of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients treated with its Cardiac Cryoablation System to evaluate the...

Illumina reorganizes, creates life science, diagnostics units.
January 7, 2008... Illumina reorganizes, creates life science, diagnostics units A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Illumina (San Diego) has reorganized its operating structure, it said in a statement, "to further leverage the synergies between its...

Dimon: 'be prepared' for worst, 'have confidence ... to do well'.
January 8, 2008... Peering into the crystal ball, searching the tea leaves for '2008 Dimon: 'be prepared' for worst, 'have confidence... to do well' By HOLLAND JOHNSON Medical Device Daily Managing Editor SAN FRANCISCO -- Better be prepared to...

Watchwords for '08 med-tech: consolidation, overseas action.
January 8, 2008... Peering into the crystal ball, searching the tea leaves for '2008 Watchwords for '08 med-tech: consolidation, overseas action By LYNN YOFFEE Medical Device Daily Staff Writer The year may be new, but the Big Picture story is...

Report from Europe.(Gambro Healthcare Inc. changes name to Diaverum)
January 8, 2008... Report from Europe Gambro Healthcare adopts new name, Diaverum, following sale A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Gambro Healthcare (Stockholm, Sweden), the renal services specialist operating as an independent company since last...

Financings roundup.(Report)
January 8, 2008... Financings roundup Aragon raises $25M 'B' financing; Benvenue closes $15M 'B' round A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Surgical device start-up Aragon Surgical (Palo Alto, California) reported that it has closed on a private...

AMS reports arbitration ruling requiring payment of $13.8M.
January 8, 2008... Company seeks new president/CEO AMS reports arbitration ruling requiring payment of $13.8M A Medical Device Daily Staff Report American Medical Systems (AMS; Minnetonka, Minnesota) reported Monday that it has lost an arbitration...

Today's MDD food for med-tech thought.
January 8, 2008... Today's MDD food for med-tech thought "Defendants might as well have said: 'Beneficent creatures from the 17th Dimension use this bracelet as a beacon to locate people who need pain relief, and whisk them off to their home world every...

Roundup.(Clinical report)
January 8, 2008... Roundup CMS eyes standards rewrite for obstructive sleep apnea By MARK McCARTY Medical Device Daily Washington Editor While sleep apnea is perhaps a "yawner" to some in med-tech -- and always to those afflicted -- it is no...

Deals roundup.
January 8, 2008... Deals roundup Boston Sci spins Advanced Bio control, also Prochymal rights A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) reported completing the sale of the controlling interests in its auditory...

Contracts.
January 8, 2008... Contracts Oleen to provide instrument management software to VA A Medical Device Daily Staff Report InterSystems (Cambridge, Massachusetts) said yesterday that Oleen (Silver Springs, Maryland), an InterSystems implementation...

Agreements roundup.
January 8, 2008... Agreements roundup Antares Pharma, Teva partner to develop disposable injector A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Antares Pharma (Ewing, New Jersey) reported it has entered into a fourth agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical...

Court report.
January 8, 2008... Court report Q-Ray's ionization 'blather' and 'bunk' brings $16 million fine A Medical Device Daily Staff Report The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has upheld a district court ruling requiring marketers of the...

Product Briefs.
January 8, 2008... Product Briefs * Abiomed (Danvers, Massachusetts) said that it has developed a new portable circulatory support driver for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital patients. The portable driver is designed to support Abiomed's AB5000...

People in Places.
January 8, 2008... People in Places * Burrill & Company (San Francisco) reported several promotions: Bryant Fong, to managing director, joining Burrill in 1998 after working with two early-stage companies as a biochemist and molecular biologist; Greg Young...

Companies tout success, room for growth in 2008 and beyond.
January 9, 2008... Companies tout success, room for growth in 2008 and beyond By HOLLAND JOHNSON Medical Device Daily Managing Editor SAN FRANCISCO -- As the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference kicked into high gear on Monday, space wasn't the only thing...

Deals roundup.
January 9, 2008... Deals roundup Synovis spins unit to Heraeus for greater biosurgery focus By DON LONG Medical Device Daily Executive Editor Synovis Life Technologies (St. Paul, Minnesota) yesterday reported that it has agreed to sell...

Report from Europe.
January 9, 2008... Report from Europe French certification lab eyes American orthopedic makers By JOHN BROSKY Medical Device Daily European Editor And MDD Staff Reports The Laboratoire National d'Essais (LNE; Trappes-Elancourt, France) has...

Penumbra system is cleared by FDA for stroke patients.
January 9, 2008... Penumbra system is cleared by FDA for stroke patients By AMANDA PEDERSEN Medical Device Daily Staff Writer Anybody who has ever known a stroke victim can probably attest to how heartbreaking and life-changing the event can be. ...

Court report.
January 9, 2008... Court report Cordis a winner in latest battle of 'stent wars,' seeks damages A Medical Device Daily Staff Report The "stent wars" are being waged on at least three levels: on the research side, via studies with competing...

Today's MDD food for med-tech thought.
January 9, 2008... Today's MDD food for med-tech thought Shares of Intuitive closed out 2007 at $323, more than triple its year-earlier close of $95.90. -- From today's report on the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, "Companies tout success, room for...

CMS reports pace of healthcare inflation slacking a bit in 2006.
January 9, 2008... Around and about the Beltway CMS reports pace of healthcare inflation slacking a bit in 2006 By MARK McCARTY Medical Device Daily Washington Editor The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported some good news and bad...

Financings roundup.
January 9, 2008... Financings roundup Primera Biosystems closes on $21 million Series B round A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Primera Biosystems (Mansfield, Massachusetts), a molecular diagnostics company with assay programs in infectious disease...

Agreements roundup.
January 9, 2008... Agreements roundup CMM to offer genotyping services for study on childhood leukemia A Medical Device Daily Staff Report The Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM; Grand Rapids, Michigan) said it has been selected by the Children's...

Contracts.
January 9, 2008... Contracts Wayport, Berkshire in pact for wireless Internet service A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Wayport (Irving Texas) a provider of public and private network support and integration for healthcare facilities, said that a...

Briefly Noted.(Brief article)
January 9, 2008... Briefly Noted MSC opens SimSuite center in Germany Medical Simulation (MSC; Denver) reported the opening of a SimSuite center in Germany. MSC has entered into an agreement with CardioSkills (Frankfurt, Germany) to provide an...

People in Places.(John Kay named as vice-president of engineering and development for Artes Medical)(Chad Coberly was named vice-president of Cohera Medical Corp.)(Stephen Tallau named as vice-president of DB Technology)
January 9, 2008... People in Places * John Kay, PhD, was named VP of engineering and development for Artes Medical (San Diego). Prior to joining Artes, Kay was chief scientific officer at IsoTis OrthoBiologics. Artes Medical makes ArteFill, a non-resorbable...

Product Briefs.
January 9, 2008... Product Briefs * Amylin Pharmaceuticals (San Diego) reported the availability of the SymlinPen 120 and the SymlinPen 60 pen-injector devices for administering Symlin (pramlintide acetate) injection. These new pre-filled pen-injector...

Panel offers tips on navigating 'stormy' private equity waters.
January 10, 2008... Panel offers tips on navigating 'stormy' private equity waters By HOLLAND JOHNSON Medical Device Daily Managing Editor SAN FRANCISCO -- For the second consecutive year, JPMorgan hosted a panel on private equity investment in the...

2008 Consumer Electronics Show.
January 10, 2008... 2008 Consumer Electronics Show 'Smart' pill-bottle caps and other products pitched to healthcare By LYNN YOFFEE Medical Device Daily Staff Writer From GPS-enabled sneakers to robotic guitar tuners to hospital bedside gaming...

International report.
January 10, 2008... International report Mindray Medical updates recent, projected launches of products A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Mindray Medical International (Shenzen, China) has reported updates on new product launches and its product...

Washington roundup.
January 10, 2008... Washington roundup Associations lodge objections to changes in DME bidding policy By MARK McCARTY Medical Device Daily Washington Editor Leave it to the healthcare industry to be dissatisfied at federal agency actions. ...

New ventures.
January 10, 2008... New ventures Carigent enters drug delivery space with Yale nanoparticle technology By JENNIFER BOGGS Medical Device Daily Staff Writer Drug delivery is becoming an increasingly important part of the drug development process,...

Today's MDD food for med-tech thought.
January 10, 2008... Today's MDD food for med-tech thought "We like the industry to turn upside down because that will create great buying opportunities for us where we can buy really great companies." -- John Connaughton, managing director at Bain...

Deals.
January 10, 2008... Deals Abraxas, new OIS subsidiary, acquires assets of AcerMed By AMANDA PEDERSEN Medical Device Daily Staff Writer After filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, the assets of AcerMed (Irvine, California) have been acquired...

Deals roundup.
January 10, 2008... BioTime to license 173 patents, patent applications from WARF A Medical Device Daily Staff Report A company that develops blood plasma volume expanders says it has signed a licensing deal for 173 patents and patent applications relating...

Financings roundup.
January 10, 2008... Financings roundup Confirma adds 'C' $17.5 million to push its CADstream system A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Confirma (Bellevue, Washington), a developer of computer-aided detection systems for MRI, reported that it has...

Agreements roundup.
January 10, 2008... Agreements roundup Home Diagnostics to be supplier of glucose monitors to Rite Aid A Medical Device Daily Staff Report Home Diagnostics (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) reported an agreement to be the exclusive supplier of a co-branded...

Briefly Noted.
January 10, 2008... Briefly Noted Study: Cell-based diagnostics market on rise Cell-based diagnostics with applications in hematology, histology, cytology, microbiology, and transplant medicine generated more than $6 billion in revenues last year, and new...