Medtech stocks have been on the rise in 2021, and the past week saw the trend continue with yet another all-time best mark. MassDevice‘s MedTech 100 index reached 107.4 points on Jan. 20, topping the all-time best of 106.81 points set on Jan. 8. That mark represents a 16% jump from the pre-pandemic high of 92.32 […]
coronavirus
Here at MassDevice — medtech's online business journal — we're covering news about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic daily. Here is the latest about coronavirus and the medical device industry, regulatory changes related to the pandemic, new tests for the virus, vaccine development, and much more.
6 questions about facial swelling and COVID-19 vaccines answered
The news that Moderna’s (NSDQ:MRNA) COVID-19 had a small risk of facial swelling for patients with dermal fillers has spooked scores of patients. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons have been inundated with queries from concerned patients. But the risk of problems is minuscule, according to Dr. Wilbur Hah, the president of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery […]
Intuitive Surgical stock down despite Street-beating Q4
Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) shares took a solid hit today despite fourth-quarter results that topped the consensus forecast. Shares of ISRG were down -5.9% at $751.89 per share in mid-afternoon trading today. They had been down -1.1% at $790 per share after hours when the results were released yesterday. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based robot-assisted surgery technology developer posted […]
Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial results expected soon
Trial results for the COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) are reportedly expected to be released soon. The Hill reported last week that former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the single-dose vaccine from J&J appears to have a “good profile for a vaccine,” indicating the potential for a third authorized candidate, following those […]
7 takeaways from Biden’s ‘full-scale, wartime’ plan to combat the COVID-19 pandemic
President Joe Biden kept to his word to announce plans to “establish clear federal leadership” to tackle the coronavirus pandemic on his first full day in office. The White House issued a 200-page document on Wednesday, detailing “full-scale, wartime” plans to harness the nation’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities to boost vaccine production, end shortages of […]
Amazon offers to help Biden administration with vaccine distribution
Amazon (NSDQ:AMZN) issued a letter to recently inaugurated President Joe Biden offering assistance with COVID-19 vaccine distribution. President Biden, who was sworn into office yesterday, was addressed in the letter from Amazon announcing its availability to help with his intent to distribute 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office. Get the full story […]
New COVID-19 variants could diminish vaccine efficacy
COVID-19 is mutating. And while early data suggest vaccines will be effective against more infectious COVID-19 variants that emerged in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil, the mutations could have a measurable impact on vaccine efficacy. There’s perhaps a 50/50 chance that such new variants could lead to a “numerically meaningful drop” in vaccine efficacy, […]
GE Healthcare reportedly lays off 140 in Wisconsin
GE Healthcare (NYSE:GE) has reportedly laid off 140 employees at its Madison, Wis. facility due to decreased demand for certain products. The Wisconsin State Journal reported that union representatives confirmed that layoffs came after the need for new ventilators and anesthesia machines has decreased. Demand for such devices had been high over the past year as […]
HHS could make permanent pandemic-related exemptions for some devices
HHS has used the Trump administration’s waning days to propose permanently exempting certain medical devices — including infusion pump controllers and fetal monitors — from the FDA 510(k) clearance process. In a notice published Jan. 15, 2021, in the Federal Register, the agency also listed seven types of patient examination gloves that it has decided to immediately […]
NIH increases PhysIQ contract to $6.6M
PhysIQ announced today that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) entered into Phase II of a contract for its AI-based COVID-19 biomarker. A Purdue University-affiliated artificial intelligence company, PhysIQ’s AI-based COVID-19 digital biomarker is being developed to address the rapid decompensation of high-risk COVID-19 patients, according to a news release. PhysIQ’s technology’s cloud platform continuously […]
MedTech 100 roundup: Finally a dip as industry stays relatively strong
After three consecutive weeks of record-breaking numbers, medtech industry stocks finally fell backward over the past seven days. MassDevice‘s MedTech 100 index finished last week at 105.8 (Jan. 15), marking a -0.95% drop from the 106.81 points (the highest ever total for the index) registered at the end of the week prior (Jan. 8). Medtech’s […]