Will Stryker bid on Smith & Nephew this week?
November 24, 2014 by Brad Perriello
Stryker is free to make an offer for Smith & Nephew after a 6-month no-bid period elapsed last week, fueling speculation that the U.S orthopedics giant will move on its British rival.
Under British law Stryker was barred from bidding on Smith & Nephew after demurring in May. Read more
Medtronic expects to free up to $4B after IRS beef is settled
November 25, 2014 by Brad Perriello
Medtronic said today that it expects to land a substantial windfall once it resolves a dispute with the IRS over the next "couple of years."
In a regulatory filing, Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic said it expects to repatriate between $500 million and $4.5 billion in overseas cash once the dispute is put to bed. Read more
Second Sight CEO Greenberg: Next-gen 'bionic eye' could treat nearly all forms of blindness
November 20, 2014 by Brad Perriello
The CEO of Second Sight Medical, Dr. Robert Greenberg, told MassDevice.com today that the company could have a device on the market “within a couple of years” that could treat nearly all forms of blindness.
Second Sight, which yesterday saw its shares close up nearly 122% after its public trading debut, makes the Argus II device, a so-called “bionic eye” that uses an eyeglass-mounted camera and an electrical stimulator implanted in the eye to convert and wirelessly transmit video images to an electrode array on the surface of the retina. The Argus II won pre-market approval from the FDA in February 2013 for treating patients with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa. Read more
HCA hospitals halt use of uterine fibroid surgical tool
November 25, 2014 by MassDevice
HCA Holdings, the largest for-profit U.S. hospital operator, said a procedure for removing uterine fibroids that’s been linked to the spread of cancer will no longer be performed at its facilities.
The surgical technique involves use of a laparoscopic power morcellator device that pulverizes tissue before it is extracted from the uterus through a small opening. Morcellation is the mincing or pulverization of tissue to make it easier to remove. Read more
