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. Pershing to Allergan: Take the deal
Allergan can’t escape the advances of major shareholder and activist investor Pershing Capital Management, which this week publicly urged the cosmetic devices maker to further discussions with prospective acquirer Valeant Pharmaceuticals’.
Pershing manager and hedge fund billionaire William Ackman asked Allergan’s leadership to take meetings with Valeant to explore the unsolicited $47 billion offer that Allergan has been dodging for weeks. Read more
2. Medtech manufacturer fleeced Stryker, says former exec
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Former Ferry Machine Corp. sales vice president Keriellen Mack told a court this week that her erstwhile employer ran a scheme to sell uncertified parts to orthopedics giant Stryker.
Mack claimed that Ferry was already on Stryker’s “no future business” list after CFO Louis Ferretti attempted to offer kickbacks to Stryker’s clients, Law360.com reported. After that Stryker refused to purchase any new parts from Ferry, ordering only parts it had already been purchasing. Read more
1. mHealth: Apple collects more medtech experts
Apple’s rumored forays into the medical device space continue to crystallize as the tech titan draws more medical sensor experts to its ranks.
New reports of Apple’s medtech hiring suggest accelerating interest in health monitoring, adding to rumors that the company is working on biomarker trackers for the the long-rumored “iWatch” and sensors that may be able to predict heart attacks. That may spell a shakeup in mHealth, should Apple decide to compete with existing players. Read more