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. TAVI: Boston Scientific launches U.S. Lotus valve trial
Boston Scientific launched a new U.S. trial of its Lotus replacement heart valve in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high or extreme risk for surgical valve replacement.
Marlborough, Mass.-based Boston Scientific touts the Lotus is the first transcatheter aortic valve implant that is both fully repositionable and retrievable prior to release. Stenosis is a condition in which a patient suffers abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel; aortic valve stenosis affects about 3% of the population age 65 and older, and 5% of people older than 75, according to data cited by Boston Scientific. The average survival rate is 50% at 2 years and 20% at 5 years, the company said. Read more
2. Zimmer and Biomet update on their mega-merger
Leadership at Zimmer and Biomet have been on merger overdrive in recent weeks, holding summits and hosting presentations as the companies navigate the tricky business of a $13 billion merger.
The orthopedics makers recently hosted the 2nd in a series of Integration Summits taking place monthly, where teams comprised of members from each company look for growth opportunities, hash out tax and regulatory issues and strategize on how best to bring these industry titans together. Read more
1. New inversion rules unlikely to scuttle Medtronic’s $43B Covidien buy
Their stock prices may have taken a hit this week, but Medtronic and Covidien will likely be able to proceed with their $43 billion union under new U.S. Treasury rules announced this week governing inversion deals.
Treasury’s new inversion rules, which puts a new tax on deferred foreign earnings and so-called “hopscotch” loans from foreign subsidiaries, are unlikely to scuttle the Medtronic-Covidien merger, experts say. Read more
