Category: Industry Council

James Mazzo named chairman of AdvaMed board

March 4, 2010 by MassDevice staff

James Mazzo, an executive at Abbott Medical Optics Inc., a division of health care giant Abbott (NYSE:ABT), was named chairman of the board of the Advanced Medical Technology Assn.

Mazzo will succeed Michael Mussallem, the CEO of Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (NYSE:EW), who has held the post at the national trade council for the medical device industry since 2008. Mazzo previously chaired AdvaMed's International Board Committee.

Along with Mazzo the trade council has also named its new committee and board members for 2010-2011. They are:

• Michael A. Mussallem, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Edwards Lifesciences
• Alex Gorsky, Worldwide Chairman MD&D EC, Johnson & Johnson
• David Dvorak, President and Chief Executive Officer, Zimmer

Mass. Life Sciences Center pushes forward despite budget setbacks

January 28, 2010 by MassDevice staff

The Mass. Life Sciences Center got another haircut in Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed 2011 fiscal budget, but neither the center nor the governor himself appears ready to concede ground on the initiative once known as the $1 billion life sciences bill.

At a breakfast meeting of the Mass. Biotechnology Council today, Patrick vigorously denied that his proposed cuts to the life sciences center reflected anything other than fiscal necessity. His proposed budget calls for a temporary cut of $5 million to the center's tax credit initiatives, bringing the total to $20 million for 2011, and another cut to the center's investment fund.

Mass. Life Sciences Center launches $3 million matching grant program

January 27, 2010 by MassDevice staff

The Mass. Life Sciences Center will begin accepting applications for a $3 million matching grant program aimed at helping small life science companies that are production-ready and "poised for rapid growth that will create jobs in the Commonwealth."

The quasi-public agency said it will provide matching grants of up to $500,000 to companies that have received Phase II or post-Phase II small business innovation research (SBIR) or small business technology transfer (STTR) grants from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation or the Dept. of Defense.

The center will open the application process on its website starting Feb. 1.

MassMEDIC to Sen.-elect Brown: Put your money where your mouth was

January 22, 2010 by MassDevice staff

The Mass. Medical Device Industry Council is asking Sen.-elect Scott Brown to put his money where his mouth was during the campaign for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat on Capital Hill.

During his successful run against Mass. Attorney General Martha Coakley, Brown visited Zoll Medical Corp.'s Chelmsford, Mass., headquarters, where he spoke about his opposition to a proposed tax on medical device makers to help pay for healthcare reform.

During the campaign stop at Zoll, the Republican then-candidate told MassDevice that he planned to vote against the healthcare reform bill if elected.

Mass. Life Science Center launches second internship initiative

January 15, 2010 by MassDevice staff

The Mass. Life Sciences Center is putting on another push to help place summer interns at life science companies in the Commonwealth, even offering salary reimbursement as sweeteners to companies with fewer than 100 employees.

The quasi-public agency said it placed slightly more than 100 interns last year at 59 life science companies across the Bay State. The goal for 2010 is to increase the number of placements to 150.

Minnesota group aims to bolster support for FDA's 510(k) program

January 13, 2010 by MedCity News

By Thomas Lee

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — For months, the medical device community has been fretting over what they see as the Food & Drug Administration's increasingly heavy-handed way of approving new technologies.

GHTF seeks public comment on global medical device registry

January 6, 2010 by MassDevice staff

The Global Harmonization Task Force is soliciting public comment on a proposed worldwide tracking system for medical devices it says will increase patient safety, improve corrective actions and better fight against counterfeiting.

The 17-year-old task force, which is made up of "a voluntary group of representatives from medical device regulatory agencies and the regulated industry," will be soliciting public comment until March 31. The 13-page paper, released last month, was disseminated by the Food & Drug Administration Jan. 6. "Unique Device Identification (UDI) System" can be downloaded online.