Abbott (NYSE:ABT) said today it opened offers looking to exchange notes offered by St. Jude Medical, which it acquired for $25 billion last month, for notes issued by Abbott. Included are St Jude’s 2% senior notes due 2018, 2.8% senior notes due 2020, 3.25% senior notes due 2023, 3.875% senior notes due 2025 and 4.75% senior notes due 2043, […]
Abbott
Abbott touts association between monitoring and improved glucose control
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) touted results today from real-world use data for its FreeStyle Libre blood glucose monitoring system. The data showed that people using its FreeStyle Libre system to monitor their glucose levels spend less time in hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia and have improved average glucose levels. More than 50,000 diabetes patients using the FreeStyle Libre system checked […]
Abbott initiates recall of StarClose SE vascular closure system
Updated to reflect that there were 38 lot numbers identified in the recall, not part numbers. Abbott (NYSE:ABT) said yesterday it initiated an urgent recall of its StarClose SE vascular closure system over issues associated with difficulty or failure to deploy during use. The Chicago, Ill.-based company said that risks associated with the device include prolonged […]
US Dept of Homeland Security updates on St Jude’s Merlin@home vulnerabilities
The US Department of Homeland Security this week published an updated advisory covering vulnerabilities associated with Abbott (NYSE:ABT) subsidiary St. Jude Medical’s Merlin@home devices. The agency warned that a vulnerability within the Merlin@home system could allow a third party to remotely “access or influence communications” between Merlin.net and transmitter endpoints, which could drain the battery or send […]
Abiomed gains after Abbott tables HeartMate PHP program
UPDATED Feb. 9, 2017, with details on Abbott’s letter to physicians. Abiomed (NSDQ:ABMD) shares closed up more than 5% yesterday as investors reacted to reports that Abbott (NYSE:ABT) paused its HeartMate PHP program in Europe. Abbott, which acquired the Thoratec line of HeartMate cardiac assist devices when it paid $25 billion for St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) last month, advised […]
Donald Trump: What medtech’s top executives are saying
For the most part, the medical device industry’s top executives have sounded positive about the new Trump administration and Republican Congress during recent earnings calls with analysts. Some such as Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky have even offered advice. And while there are many open questions, top executives insist potential repeal and replace of […]
Abbott wins FDA nod for whole-blood molecular test for Zika
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) said today that the FDA approved its RealTime ZIKA test to detect Zika virus in whole blood for emergency use. This is the 1st molecular test made by a commercial manufacturer that the federal watchdog has authorized to detect Zika in whole blood samples, the company touted. Research suggests that Zika virus can […]
Abbott wins FDA nod for MRI-safe Assurity pacemaker
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) said today that the FDA approved magnetic resonance-conditional labeling for its Assurity MRI pacemaker and its Tendril MRI pacing lead. The federal watchdog’s approval makes its Assurity device the world’s smallest, longest-lasting wireless MRI-compatible pacemaker, the company reported. During an MRI scan, Abbott’s MRI Activator device triggers pre-programmed MRI settings for the Assurity pacemaker, eliminating the need […]
EU anti-trust regulators OK Abbott-Alere deal
Anti-trust regulators in the European Union may be OK with the pending, $5.8 billion union of Alere (NYSE:ALR), but Abbott (NYSE:ABT) still wants out of the deal. The Chicago-area healthcare giant, which posted its 4th-quarter results earlier today, sued last month to stop the merger. Today the EU regulators on the European Commission approved the merger, subject to […]
Abbott releases swath of BurstDR neuromod study data
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) this week released a wealth of new data on its neuromod technology, which it acquired in its $25 billion buy of St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ). Presentations included an analysis from the Sunburst study of St. Jude’s BurstDR technology, a sub-study of optimal BurstDR programming, an analysis of non-rechargeable spinal cord stimulation devices and a series of […]
Abbott’s Q4 sales miss the mark
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) missed expectations with its 4th-quarter sales but met Wall Street’s consensus forecast for earnings, sending shares down a tick in pre-market trading today. In its 1st quarterly results since closing the $25 billion acquisition of St. Jude Medical, the Chicago-area healthcare giant posted profits of $798 million, or 53¢ per share, on sales […]