Say hello to MassDevice +5, a bite-sized view of the top five medtech stories of the day. This feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our 5 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.
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5. pSivida seeks European regulatory nod for Durasert
pSivida is looking to market its Durasert 3-year treatment for posterior segment uveitis in the European Union. Today, the Watertown, Mass.-based company submitted a marketing authorization application to the European Medicines Agency.
Earlier this month, pSivida reported that its 2nd Phase III trial, which followed patients for 3 years, met its primary endpoint of prevention of recurrence of posterior uveitis at 6 months. Read more
4. Senate hews to House blueprint with new Trumpcare bill
A new U.S. Senate version of the Trumpcare bill largely hews to the structure of the healthcare reform bill that passed the House last month, reportedly handing a huge tax cut to the rich by slashing the government’s contribution to the Medicaid program for the poor.
The Senate bill would create a new tax credit for health insurance purchases and would allow states to drop Obamacare benefits such as maternity care, emergency services and mental health treatment, the New York Times reported. Although the Senate version would offer more financial help for the poor than its House counterpart, like that measure it would phase out federal subsidies to states to cover the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion and cap Medicaid’s budgets. Read more
3. Insulet asks judge to force docs from Unilife in bankruptcy sale
A Delaware judge this week ordered formal submissions from both Unilife and Insulet as the companies fought over Unilife’s Chapter 11 sale, with Insulet claiming Unilife is selectively refusing to supply appropriate information and restricting it’s ability to participate.
Insulet claims that Unilife has not provided it with enough data to make an informed bid on the assets, and has specifically targeted the company in its refusals, even after it signed a non disclosure agreement in May. Read more
2. TriReme Medical touts Chocolate Heart drug-coated balloon data
QT Vascular subsidiary TriReme Medical touted angiographic data today from a 24-month follow-up of patients treated with its Chocolate Heart drug-coated balloon.
The Chocolate Heart device is a paclitaxel-coated version of the company’s Chocolate coronary balloon that is commercially available in the U.S. The combo therapy was designed to reduce the incidence of repeat procedures and minimize the need for a stent, according to TriReme. Read more
1. Bard shareholder looks to scuttle $24B merger with BD
A shareholder of C.R. Bard sued yesterday to stop a $24 billion merger with Becton Dickinson, arguing that the price tag is too low and that the sale process was flawed and seeking class-action status for the suit.
Plaintiff Richard Maser filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey, seeking to block the deal until the companies disclose more facts about their negotiations. Maser alleged that the agreement’s “no solicitation” clause “prohibits the company or the individual defendants from taking any affirmative action to obtain a better deal for Bard shareholders.” Read more
