Abbott (NYSE:ABT) announced today that it launched its first virtual reality-based training program for interventional cardiologists. The company’s new training program uses VR with traditional training techniques to increase experience and expertise in using Abbott’s optical coherence tomography (OCT) to improve outcomes in patients who need a stent to open clogged arteries, according to a news […]
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How did medtech companies score on environmental stewardship list?
Medical Design & Outsourcing recently rated the world’s largest medical device companies — the Big 100 — for their sales numbers and R&D spend. Now we can share how some of them scored on an environmental nonprofit’s annual list of companies ranked for their actions on climate change. Not-for-profit organization CDP (Stockholm, Sweden) runs a global disclosure system for […]
Which COVID-19 diagnostics are most sensitive?
The FDA SARS-CoV-2 Reference Panel released a comparison pitting COVID-19 diagnostics against each other for superior sensitivity. Developers of the diagnostics are asked to perform a range-finding limit of detection (LoD) for detectable units per mL, according to the FDA release. The PerkinElmer New Coronavirus Nucleic Acid Detection Kit and the Viracor SARS-CoV-2 assay led […]
FDA agrees on independent confirmation needs for COVID-19 antibody tests
The FDA issued a letter confirming that all emergency use-authorized COVID-19 antibody serology tests should be supplemented with a second, independent test. The letter, dated Dec. 1, 2020, states that the FDA concurs with the additional statement to Abbott’s (NYSE:ABT) fact sheet for healthcare providers which outlines the risk of false-positve results. FDA received the supplement […]
Canada approves Abbott Freestyle Libre 2 for adults and children
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) announced that Health Canada has approved its FreeStyle Libre 2 continuous glucose monitor for adults and children. The next-generation, wearable, sensor-based CGM technology with real-time alarms is approved for use in adults and children (four years old and up) and will be priced the same as the current FreeStyle Libre system, according to a […]
CMS finalizes coverage updates that increase access to VADs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized policies that increase access to artificial hearts and ventricular assist devices (VADs). In August, CMS proposed the coverage policy updates meant to increase access to VADs and artificial hearts, which represented potentially good news for major VAD makers Abbott (NYSE:ABT) and Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and for people with heart failure who […]
Next-gen MitraClip performs as well as earlier version
The award-winning next-generation MitraClip from Abbott (NYSE:ABT) reportedly performs as well as the previous version of the heart valve technology. According to reports in TCTMD, analysis presented by Abbott last week from its EXPAND registry compares favorably with outcomes seen in the landmark COAPT trial back in 2018. EXPAND was conducted across 57 locations in the […]
Abbott signs on to sponsor diabetes care equity effort
Abbott and the American Diabetes Association this week announced that Abbott has become the first anchor sponsor of the Health Equity Now platform. The platform addresses health disparities for people living with diabetes. The sponsorship includes a three-year, $5 million commitment to support the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) advocacy and community-driven projects that are aimed […]
The 20 largest medical device companies in the world
The information in this year’s annual Big 100 rankings of the world’s largest medical device companies is as interesting as ever. The 100 companies on this year’s list had medical device businesses bringing in a whopping $420.5 billion during their most recent fiscal years — a nearly 6% increase from the 2019 Big 100. But […]
Qiagen readies portable digital COVID-19 antigen test
Qiagen (NYSE: QGEN) and its partner Ellume are gearing up for the launch of the QIAreach SARS-CoV-2 antigen test, which can reportedly process samples in 2–15 minutes. Qiagen notes that the test can process up to 30 swab samples per hour while supporting parallel processing of antibody tests. The companies have submitted the test for […]
Tech bridges gap between sales reps and surgeons
Medtech sales reps often are an essential presence during surgeries. But worries about the spread of the coronavirus and the availability of personal protective equipment have pushed most reps out of the operating rooms, leaving surgeons without a resource to which they’ve grown accustomed. Technology startups are stepping forward to reunite surgeons and sales reps […]
