San Diego-based Sommetrics said yesterday that it closed a $12.3 million stock financing Series B round to support commercialization of the company’s sleep products. The round was financed by new and current investors, Sommetrics said. “There is a great deal of attention on the amount of time spent sleeping,” president & CEO Dr. Richard Rose […]
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Bellerophon touts effects of inhaled nitric oxide in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Bellerophon Therapeutics (NSDQ:BLPH) presented data for its INOpulse nitric oxide device in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension at the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation’s annual meeting. Researchers studied the effects of pulsed inhaled nitric oxide, delivered by the INOpulse device in 10 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension both before and after exercise. The […]
After review of patient deaths, European regulators OK Actelion’s Uptravi
The European Medicines Agency told doctors today that they can continue to prescribe Actelion‘s (VTX:ATLN) pulmonary arterial hypertension drug, Uptravi. The regulatory body initiated a safety review in January after 5 patients in France died and docs were asked to stop prescribing the drug. Regulators reported that their review did not suggest an increase in mortality […]
Keystone Nano launches clinical trial for NanoLiposome cancer therapy
Keystone Nano said today that it has begun clinical testing for its ceramide NanoLiposome cancer therapy. The Phase I trial plans to evaluate the company’s NanoLiposome as a targeted treatment for solid tumors. Ceramide is a lipid that has demonstrated efficacy in liver cancer, breast cancer, leukemia and pancreatic cancer. Preclinical evidence has shown that […]
These big medtech names performed the best in early 2017
Fink Densford, Associate Editor and Chris Newmarker, Managing Editor This year so far has been an especially good one for medical device company stocks. More than four-fifths of the world’s 100 largest medical device companies saw their stock values increase during the first quarter of 2017 – about half enjoyed double-digit percentage increases, according to an analysis […]
Judge: Medtronic-Neurovision emails are valid settlement deal
A federal judge in Texas this week ruled that emails exchanged between Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and Neurovision hashing out a settlement in their patent infringement dispute constitute a valid agreement, setting the stage for a hearing on whether the subsequent, unsigned contract is binding. Neurovision sued Medtronic in the the U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas in February 2016, […]
Medtronic confirms StrataMR valve and shunt recall
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) yesterday confirmed the recall of its StrataMR adjustable valves and shunts, reported last month by MassDevice.com, saying 1 death has been reported but not confirmed to be associated with the issue. The problem relates to flow resistance that could lead to under-drainage of cerebrospinal fluid, arising when the valve mechanism is adjusted to a position which causes higher-than-intended […]
Abbott to restrict Absorb bioresorbable stent in Europe
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) plans to restrict the use of its Absorb bioresorbable stent in Europe after a clinical study found a higher risk of serious adverse events. In a March 31 letter to physicians (posted online April 5 by a prominent cardiologist from Atlanta), Abbott said it would restrict use of the Absorb and Absorb GT1 devices to […]
Medtech stocks: the best and worst of Q1 2017
More than four-fifths of the 100 largest medical device companies in the world saw their stock prices increase during the first three months of 2017, according to a Medical Design & Outsourcing analysis of how the stocks of our Big 100 companies are faring. The situation suggests that even with the uncertainty around what the […]
How artificial life spawned a billion-dollar industry
(Reuters) – Scientists are getting closer to building life from scratch and technology pioneers are taking notice, with record sums moving into a field that could deliver novel drugs, materials, chemicals and even perfumes. Despite ethical and safety concerns, investors are attracted by synthetic biology’s wide market potential and the plummeting cost of DNA synthesis, […]
Defendants move for acquittal in Abbott-Advanced Medical Optics insider trading case
The defendants in an insider trading case yesterday asked a federal judge in California to acquit them of all charges, arguing that the government failed to show any evidence that they traded on inside dope about Abbott‘s (NYSE:ABT) $2.8 billion acquisition of Advanced Medical Optics in 2009. Federal prosecutors in 2014 accused ex-Advanced Medical Optics chief James Mazzo of tipping […]