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.
The top medtech trenders saw a surge of activity last month as news of mergers and acquisitions, some not quite as amicable as others, drove much of the headlines.
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) continues to lead the top 5 as news of its pending acquisition of Covidien (NYSE:COV) drives conversations in the industry as well as on Capitol Hill, where inversions are still a hot-button issue. Covidien made its own mark on the countdown, creeping from 4th to 3rd place as it made some strategic acquisitions as well.
Allergan (NYSE:AGN) remained in 2nd place as its tumultuous affair with unsolicited buyer Valeant Pharmaceuticals and activist investor William Ackman creeps ever closer to resolution. The hostile acquirers managed to win their long-sought shareholder meeting, but Allergan is looking to prevent them from voting their shares.
Jumping to 4th place is Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) with just a handful of major stories about its pelvic mesh lawsuits, which appear to be going in the company’s favor. St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) rounded out the list with some promising legal news of its own, finally reaching a cease-fire with long-time rival Volcano (NSDQ:VOLC).
Medtronic
- Medtronic to cover $58M tax tab for top execs in Covidien buy
- Medtronic wins U.S. clearance for pediatric spine implant
- Medtronic launches personalized heart rhythm therapy trial
- Another Covidien shareholder sues over Medtronic deal
- Medtronic buys out NGC Medical in $350M deal
- New roster: Medtronic, Covidien reveal regional integration teams
- Medtronic CEO targets 40% share of patient monitoring market after Covidien deal’s close
- Medtronic drops $200M on Dutch DBS firm Sapiens
- Medtronic’s personalized pacemaker wins FDA approval
- Standard & Poor’s maintains credit watch on Medtronic over Covidien buy
- Report: Medtronic butts heads with shareholders at annual meeting
- Medtronic claims a 40% share of U.S. TAVI market with CoreValve
- Medtronic and Covidien reveal their integration teams
- Medtronic’s Q1 earnings beat The Street on modest sales bump
- Medtronic’s Ishrak completes the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ for ALS research (video)
- Mirowski wants another bite at Supreme Court apple in Medtronic lawsuit
- Amid political noise, Ishrak seeks to reassure employees on Medtronic-Covidien deal
- Will Medtronic follow Walgreen and abandon inversion in Covidien deal?
- Medtronic founder Bakken backs Covidien buy
- FTC wants more data on Medtronic-Covidien deal, but analysts aren’t worried
- Diabetes: Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson settle patent spat
- Another Covidien shareholder sues to block Medtronic merger
- Medtronic-Covidien merger means tax hit for all stockholders, including execs
- Appeals court reverses Medtronic’s win in Lenox bone mill spat
- Medtronic hires ex-Senators to lobby for Covidien deal
- Medtronic brings new smart pacemaker to India
- Medtronic lands FDA wins for new CRT-Ds and quadripolar lead
- FTC wants more data on Medtronic-Covidien deal, but analysts aren’t worried
- Congress moves to punish Medtronic and other ‘corporate deserters’
- Medtronic, Covidien merger: Ishrak and Almeida go on tour
- Medtronic opens hemodialysis plant in China
- TAVI study: Sapien tops CoreValve in AR risk, but is CoreValve safer?
- Medtronic launches new sinus dilation balloon
Allergan
- Allergan accedes to special meeting, asks court to block Valeant’s vote
- Valeant sues Allergan for special meeting after show of shareholder support
- Allergan can’t delay shareholder vote on hostile Valeant bid
- Allergan solicits Salix in bid to stymie hostile Valeant takeover
- Allergan CFO Edwards steps down amid hostile Valeant takeover bid
- SEC launches Ackman probe, Allergan pays up to $588M for Liris bladder drug, Ackman dangles IPO
- Allergan calls out Valeant on latest earnings report
- Feds take a closer look at Valeant’s hostile bid for Allergan
- Valeant’s hostile takeover hopes fade as Allergan war continues
Covidien
- Medtronic to cover $58M tax tab for top execs in Covidien buy
- Covidien acquires Sapheon and its VenaSeal varicose vein treatment
- Another Covidien shareholder sues over Medtronic deal
- Covidien snaps up Reverse Medical
- Medtronic, Covidien reveal regional integration teams
- Medtronic CEO targets 40% share of patient monitoring market after Covidien deal’s close
- Standard & Poor’s maintains credit watch on Medtronic over Covidien buy
- Covidien snaps up Reverse Medical
- FDA OKs return of Covidien’s Pipeline embolism device
- Covidien opens Brazilian training center
- Covidien’s atherectomy study finally hits JACC
- Medtronic and Covidien reveal their integration teams
- Amid political noise, Ishrak seeks to reassure employees on Medtronic-Covidien deal
- Medtronic founder Bakken backs Covidien buy
- Another Covidien shareholder sues to block Medtronic merger
- Medtronic-Covidien merger means tax hit for all stockholders, including execs
- Medtronic hires ex-Senators to lobby for Covidien deal
- FTC wants more data on Medtronic-Covidien deal, but analysts aren’t worried
- Details of the mega-merger: Covidien makes the 1st move, Almeida prepares to step down
- Congress moves to punish Medtronic and other ‘corporate deserters’
- Medtronic, Covidien merger: Ishrak and Almeida go on tour
Boston Scientific
- Report: Boston Scientific wins 2nd pelvic mesh bellwether
- Boston Scientific lands another date with FDA panel for Watchman stroke device
- Boston Scientific can’t sever Pinnacle pelvic mesh cases
- Boston Scientific engages Asahi Intecc for FFR project
- Boston Scientific’s 2nd bellwether pelvic mesh trial kicks off
- Boston Scientific moves into new digs (photos)
- Boston Scientific reveals federal probe of BridgePoint buy, sales
St. Jude Medical
- Judge agrees to toss ex-Biosense rep’s suit in non-compete row with St. Jude Medical
- St. Jude Medical says FDA clears Texas neuromodulation plant
- St. Jude and Volcano call a cease-fire
- St. Jude closes $200M NeuroTherm buy
- Abbott’s MitraClip, St. Jude’s CardioMEMS land new Medicare coverage
- Mass. Supremes deny St. Jude Medical in laser spat with Volcano
