MassDevice.com looked at some of the most talked-about medical device companies, based on trends in U.S. Google searches for the last 30 days.
Medical device titan Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) remained the Google search champion for another month, releasing a slate of news regarding regulatory wins and clinical trials, as well as providing updates on the road ahead with a MassDevice.com interview following the company’s earnings report.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) followed behind, making headlines with news of the high-profile legal battles over its metal-on-metal hips and transvaginal mesh implants. Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) hit a new 52-week-highs twice during the month after new CEO Michael Mahoney delivered a presentation at the J.P. Morgan conference in California.
St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) and GE Healthcare’s (NYSE:GE) rounded out the top 5 with news of FDA warnings, European regulatory wins and 4th-quarter earnings reports.

- Alisanos slaps Medtronic with patent suit over Octopus Evolution – January 7
- Medtronic narrows 2013 guidance – January 7
- Interview: Medtronic CEO Ishrak on the road ahead – January 8
- Medtronic asks court to strike insulin pump fraud case – January 9
- Diabetes: GI Dynamics inks research deals with Medtronic, GlaxoSmithKline – January 9
- Medtronic can’t dodge pain pump lawsuit – January 11
- Medtronic touts FDA win, commercial launch of next-gen FlexCath sheath – January 16
- Medtronic announces 1st implant in Reveal trial – January 18
- Medtronic lands new EU indications for Complete SE stent – January 24
- Medtronic closes enrollment in drug-eluting balloon study – January 28
- Back pain: Medtronic launches global spinal cord neurostim trial – January 28
- Medtronic closes strategic investment in LifeTech – January 30
- Medtronic’s neurostim implants safe with full-body MRI, EU regulators say – January 30

- Legal fights over recalled hips and transvaginal mesh begin this year – January 2
- Juror selection begins for Johnson & Johnson transvaginal mesh lawsuits – January 15
- Johnson & Johnson looks to reboot medical device business – January 22
- Cordis unveils 2-year trial results for S.M.A.R.T. vascular stent systems – January 22
- Diabetes: Certain J&J insulin pumps destined to fail over software issue – January 22
- 1 in 3 metal hips may fail in under 5 years, J&J analysis finds – January 23
- J&J dodged years of warnings before recalling metal hips, lawsuit claims – January 29

- Hauser curbs enthusiasm for Boston Scientific’s lead-free implanted defibrillator – January 2
- Mahoney: Too much CEO turnover at Boston Scientific – January 8
- Whistleblower asks appeals court to revive lawsuit against Boston Scientific – January 9
- Can Boston Scientific capitalize on St. Jude’s challenges? – January 9
- Boston Scientific hits 52-week high on Credit Suisse nod – January 16
- Boston Scientific treats 1st patient in Zero AF trial, aims for FDA win for Blazer catheter – January 16
- Boston Scientific gains on Q4, 2012 numbers, announces more layoffs – January 29
- Boston Scientific hits 52-week high – January 31

- St. Jude and AorTech come to terms over troubled supply deal – January 3
- St. Jude Medical cops to Durata plant problems – January 9
- St. Jude defends Durata amid FDA warning at manufacturing facility – January 10
- FDA slaps St. Jude Medical with warning letter – January 14
- St. Jude Medical seesaws on FDA warning letter – January 15
- FDA approves St. Jude’s Merlin.net web-based remote cardiac monitor – January 16
- St. Jude wins EU approval for ViewFlex Xtra ICE catheter – January 17
- St. Jude lands European win for next-gen Amplatzer stroke prevention device – January 18
- St. Jude Medical’s Q4, 2012 results beat Wall Street’s expectations – January 23
- St. Jude eyes larger patient group in new renal denervation study – January 30

- Strong Q4 pushes GE Healthcare’s 2012 profits up 4% – January 18