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. Shockwave Medical wins FDA clearance for peripheral vessel Lithoplasty device
Shockwave Medical said today that it won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its Lithoplasty system, which is designed to treat calcified plaque in patients with peripheral artery disease.
The Fremont, Calif.-based company’s Lithoplasty device uses intermittent lithotripsy pulses to disrupt superficial and deep vascular calcium and an angioplasty balloon to expand blockages at low pressures to restore blood flow. Read more
4. Minnesota doc creates $50 EpiPen alternative
A Minnesota doctor reportedly created a $50 EpiPen alternative and is trying to raise money to bring it to patients.
Dr. Douglas McMahon, who has severe food allergies, told CBS Minnesota that he was hesitant to carry his EpiPen because it was so bulky. As a certified allergy specialist, McMahon began constructing an alternative in his lab several years ago and now has a patented product called AllergyStop. Read more
3. Sofregen lands $6.2m Series A
Sofregen Medical said yesterday that it landed a $6.2 million Series A round from Polaris Partners and other founding investors, bringing their total funding raised to more than $11 million.
The Medford, Mass.-based company was founded in 2014 to advance silk-based medical technology developed at Tufts University and the University of Pittsburgh for soft tissue defects. Read more
2. Ex-HHS chief Sebelius joins Solera Health board
Solera Health said today that former U.S. Health & Human Services Dept. head Kathleen Sebelius joined its health advisory board.
The Phoenix-based technology platform is designed to unite patients and physicians with non-clinical healthcare providers such as community organizations and national programs. Solera contracts with health plans to bring chronic disease prevention programs, such as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s Diabetes Prevention Program, to its member base. Read more
1. Progenerative Medical licenses KCI’s tissue regeneration tech
Progenerative Medical said this week that it inked an exclusive licensing agreement with Acelity subsidiary Kinetic Concepts Inc. for a negative-pressure technology portfolio it aims to develop for spine and general orthopedic procedures.
The announcement is a long time coming for CEO James Poser, who worked at KCI for a year as vice president of global R&D back in 2007. Poser told MassDevice.com that a KCI colleague mentioned the interesting effects of negative pressure therapy on bone formation. He told his colleague to investigate and get back to him in 6 months. Read more
