As the numbers of positive COVID-19 cases soars across the South, federal officials today implored young people to be more careful about spreading the disease. Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, holding their first public briefing in two months, spoke of the risks of continuing to spread the virus by people who are […]
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.
Partnership will study use of existing drugs for COVID-19 and and more
A new collaboration funded by in part by $1.1 million from the FDA is working on finding new uses for existing drugs for areas of high unmet medical need — with a pilot project focused on treatments for COVID-19. The Critical Path Institute (C-Path) this week announced the launch of the CURE Drug Repurposing Collaboratory […]
Texas governor halts elective procedures in populous counties
Citing the need to preserve hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott today issued an executive order halting elective medical procedures in the state’s four most heavily populated counties . The order, issued this morning, covers the counties of Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties. Bexar County includes the city of San Antonio. […]
Report: Trump fundraiser tried to cash in on N95 masks
The co-founder of a political action committee that has raised funds for President Donald Trump may have attempted to profit from N95 respirators made by 3M (NYSE:MMM), according to a report by CBS News. The report said that, shortly after Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to obtain 3M’s respirators, Great America PAC (which raised more […]
Henry Schein execs extend pay cuts
Henry Schein (NSDQ:HSIC) announced that it is continuing certain cost reduction measures, including payroll cuts, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Melville, N.Y.-based medical device maker said in a news release that chairman and CEO Stanley Bergman agreed to extend his prior agreement to a temporary reduction of 100% of his base salary from April 6, 2020, […]
Report: FDA lists 106 adverse events for Abbott’s rapid COVID-19 test; none for other rapid tests
Users of the Abbott (NYSE:ABT) ID Now point-of-care diagnostic test for COVID-19 have reported 106 false-negative or otherwise incorrect or inadequate results to the FDA since April — and none for other companies’ rapid diagnostics for the novel coronavirus, according to a report by Kaiser Health News. That’s up from the 15 adverse event reports the […]
Most Americans concerned about rising drugs costs amid COVID-19, Gallup says
A new study by West Health and Gallup revealed that Americans are concerned with potential negative developments resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 90% of the 1,016 U.S. adults surveyed between May 11, 2020, and May 22, 2020, said they are “very” (55%) or “somewhat” (33%) concerned that the pharmaceutical industry will leverage the ongoing […]
MedTech 100 roundup: Another rebound as markets continue to fluctuate
Medtech stocks rebounded from a significant dip earlier in June last week, continuing to highlight the topsy-turvy nature of the markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. MassDevice’s MedTech 100 Index — which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies — sat at 85.00 points at the end of last week (June 19). That total represents […]
FDA warns against using certain COVID-19 tests
The FDA issued a statement recommending that clinical laboratories and healthcare providers stop using COVID-19 antibody tests on its “removed” list. Found under the FDA’s FAQs on Testing for SARS-CoV-2 page, the removed list includes tests for which significant clinical performance problems were identified and cannot or have not been addressed by the manufacturer in […]
Assisted living survey shows ongoing struggle for supplies during COVID-19 pandemic
A survey of National Center for Assisted Living members revealed that a number of people are still facing equipment shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assisted living facilities have been hit particularly hard by the virus, with a recent report from the Associated Press citing government data confirming that nursing home residents account for nearly 1 […]
Merck acquires Themis to speed COVID-19 vaccine development
Merck (NYSE:MRK) announced today that it completed the acquisition of vaccine and immune-modulation therapy developer Themis for an undisclosed amount. In connection with the acquisition, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, while Merck gained merger control from the Austrian Federal Competition Authority, […]