Say hello to MassDevice +7, a bite-sized view of the top seven med-tech stories of the week. This latest feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our seven biggest and most influential stories from the week’s news to make sure you’re up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
7. J&J mesh lawsuit penalty grows to $11.1M
Johnson & Johnson vows to repeal a jury decision awarding a plaintiff more than $11 million over complaints regarding transvaginal mesh implants.
6. Closing arguments in DePuy ASR lawsuit
Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit played "Russian roulette" with its ASR metal-on-metal hip implant, a jury heard yesterday in the closing arguments of a high-profile personal injury lawsuit; J&J denies the allegations, saying the plaintiff’s ills were due to other medical problems.
5. FDA probes Intuitive Surgical on complication rates
The FDA surveys doctors on complications experienced using Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci surgical robot, sending shares down on Wall Street.
4. FDA warns doc on CoreValve heart implant trial record-keeping issues
A doctor participating in a clinical trial of Medtronic’s CoreValve heart implant had "serious violations" of FDA record-keeping rules, prompting a warning letter from the federal watchdog agency.
3. AdvaMed fights to keep user fees out of sequester cuts for FDA
With more than 5% of the FDA’s budget on the chopping block this week, medical device industry lobby AdvaMed vows to fight "shoulder to shoulder" with the watchdog agency to avert cuts that could impact medical innovation.
2. Paulsen goes grassroots to rally Senate support for repeal
Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) asks for grassroots help in rallying support for his bill to repeal the medica device tax, which now has 199 co-sponsors in the House but lackluster support in the Senate.
1. Group purchasers call out 45 “cost-shifting” medtech companies
The Healthcare Supply Chain Assn. names 45 medical device companies it says are shifting the cost of the 2.3% federal excise tax, among them Allergan and Invacare.
