Say hello to MassDevice +3, a bite-sized view of the top three medtech stories of the day. This feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our 3 biggest and most influential stories from the day’s news to make sure you’re up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
3. House Democrats float another medical device tax repeal bid
House Democrats last month introduced yet another bill that would do away with the medical device tax enacted as part of Obamacare.
Sponsored by Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), H.R. 1533 or the “Medical Device Tax Elimination Act” mirrors a similar bid in the Upper Chamber put up by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Both bills would replace revenues lost by repealing the tax by closing loopholes for the oil & gas industry. Read more
2. LVADs: Thoratec study a Roadmap to lower-risk patients?
One-year results from Thoratec’s Roadmap trial, revealed last week, could point the way toward the use of implantable heart pumps in less-sick heart failure patients.
The study compared treatment with optimal medical therapy to treatment with Thoratec’s HeartMate II left ventricular assist device as a destination therapy in ambulatory heart failure patients. After 12 months, the HeartMate II cohort showed significant improvement in survival and functional status, although that group’s risk of adverse events was higher than the control arm. Read more
1. Wright Medical, ConforMIS settle patent dispute
Wright Medical and ConforMIS said they settled their patent dispute over patient-specific instrumentation technology used in joint replacement procedures.
ConforMIS sued Wright in September 2013, alleging Wright’s Prophecy knee and ankle replacement systems infringed 4 ConforMIS patents. Read more