Wall Street sent St. Paul, Minn.-based obesity and GI device maker EnteroMedics’ (NSDQ:ETRM) shares down 8% today after the company missed analysts’ consensus estimate.
Weight loss
Diabetes in remission at 6 years for obese bariatric surgery patients | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Researchers found more evidence that bariatric weight-loss surgery may help reverse Type II diabetes for obese patients.
In a study of more than 200 patients, 1 in 4 experienced total metabolic remission at 6 years and another 1 in 4 showed partial remission, according to a study released during the Prediabetes and Metabolic Syndrome 2013 Congress in Austria.
Smiths Medical’s recall gets FDA’s highest-risk label | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — The FDA put its highest-risk stamp on Smiths Medical’s alarm cable recall, warning that a rare issue may cause patients harm or even death.
The BCI remote alarm cables are meant for use with Smiths Medical’s 9004 Capnocheck Capnography systems, transferring alarms from the system to a remote alarm system.
Larger U.S. patients means larger medical devices | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Makers of durable medical equipment have had to shift their manufacturing parameters in recent years in order to accommodate the ever-growing rates of obesity in the U.S.
It’s sometimes a "heartbreaking" situation for patients, but it’s also a potentially lucrative opportunity for device makers and clinicians. Clinics generally pay a premium for bigger devices, but the technology has become a medical necessity.
GI Dynamics names Brazilian EndoBarrier distributor
GI Dynamics (ASX:GID) sealed a deal with CMS Medical to distribute its EndoBarrier weight loss and diabetes device in Brazil, hoping to hit the market there by early 2014.
Study: Experimental anorexia treatment with deep brain stimulation may provide lasting results
In what some are calling "a world 1st," researchers reported some success in treating severe anorexia patients via implanted electrodes that delivered electrical energy to the regions of the brain associated with emotion.
The study enrolled 6 patients to receive the experimental treatment, reporting that 3 of the 6 achieved weight gain and 4 of the 6 reported changes in mood, anxiety, control over their urges to binge and purge and other symptoms associated with anorexia.
Weight loss: GI Dynamics hits the market in Israel
GI Dynamics (ASX:GID) earned a thumbs-up from the Israeli Ministry of Health for its EndoBarrie device to treat obesity and Type II diabetes.
Lexington, Mass.-based GI Dynamics said it’s engaged \Lavi-Medical Agencies as exclusive distributor for the EndoBarrier in Israel, where Sheba Medical Center at Ramat-Gan is currently the only hospital offering the device.
Weight loss: ReShape Medical closes pivotal trial enrollment for surgery-free device
San Clemente, Calif.-based ReShape Medical closed pivotal trial enrollment for its ReShape Duo non-surgical weight-loss system, the company announced this week.
ReShape’s Duo system is comprised of dual intra-gastric balloons that are placed in the stomach non-surgically via an endoscope inserted into the mouth. The balloons takes up space in the stomach to help patients feel full faster, causing them to eat smaller portions.
Weight-loss surgery doesn’t trim healthcare costs, researchers say | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Although successful in trimming patients waistlines, bariatric surgery doesn’t appear to help curb healthcare spending, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Researchers analyzed more than 29,000 records, comparing patients with similar obesity profiles who either did or did not undergo bariatric surgery, observing healthcare costs over a period of 7 years.
Weight loss: EnteroMedics names new operating chief ahead of FDA bid
Minnesota weight-loss devices maker EnteroMedics (NSDQ:ETRM) announced today that CFO and senior vice president Greg Lea had also been appointed chief operating officer.
Weight loss: Boston Scientific backs BaroNova in $27M funding round
Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) took part in a $27.3 million Series C round for weight loss device maker BaroNova, joined by Sante Ventures, Lumira Capital and a bevy of other venture capital shops.