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.
If you read nothing else this weekend, make sure you’re still in the know with MassDevice +7.
7. FDA to host Florida conference on long-awaited UDI program
FDA regulators invite device makers, GPOs and other healthcare industry stakeholders to a Florida conference on medical device unique device identifiers.
6. American Heart Assn. seeks to temper DoJ probe into ICD misuse
The American Heart Assn. lauded the U.S. Justice Dept.’s efforts to provide guidelines for hospitals to resolve a large-scale investigation into potential heart implant fraud, but warns that certain rules may prevent doctors from doing what’s right for patients.
5. Medtech trends: The most talked about device makers in August 2012
MassDevice.com looks at the internet chatter surrounding the medical device industry with some of most searched-for companies of the last month.
4. Medical device M&A: Has CEO turnover stymied acquisitions?
Some of the world’s largest medical device companies have swapped CEOs in the last couple of years, which may have had a hand in slowing merger and acquisition activity to a 3-year low.
3. Stryker CEO: Medical device tax is ‘a job-killing bill’
Curt Hartman, the interim CEO of medical device company Stryker Corp., tells analysts that the medical device tax set for next year will force companies to move their operations overseas, eliminating American jobs.
2. More legal troubles for Medtronic?
Medtronic reveals a year-old Dept. of Justice probe into the medical device company’s insulin pump replacement practices.
1. Are St. Jude’s layoffs related to the medical device tax?
Analysts speculate that St. Jude Medical’s wide-scale restructuring and hundreds of layoffs may be related to the impending burden of the 2.3% medical device tax slated to take effect January 1.
