Could in-hospital use of continuous glucose monitors become a new normal after the COVID-19 pandemic? Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayer thinks so. As the pandemic ramped up in March, FDA issued temporary guidance allowing increased remote monitoring of hospital patients in order to limit contact with hospital staff. The guidance included CGMs made by companies such […]
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.
Moody’s lowers its medical device industry earnings forecast
Medical device industry earnings will remain flat over the next 12 to 18 months as people hold off on medical procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession, according to a new report from Moody’s. Moody’s had previously projected of 2–4% annual growth. “While underlying positive trends remain, including ongoing innovation and favorable longterm demographics, […]
3M announces sizable sales dips in May
3M (NYSE:MMM) announced today that it experienced a -20% sales decline year-over-year for the month of May as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact business. The St. Paul, Minn.-based company’s 20% dip brought sales down to $2.2 billion, with organic local-currency sales dropping -21%, although acquisitions and net of divestitures increased sales by 2%. Foreign currency […]
Philips launches remote fetal monitor for high-risk pregnancies during COVID-19
Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG) announced today that it launched an addition to its remote patient monitoring platform for at-risk populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amsterdam-based Philips added the Avalon CL fetal and maternal pod and patch for reducing unnecessary physical interactions between clinicians and patients to prevent transmission of the coronavirus. The patch makes up part of […]
Mayo Clinic launches test to detect COVID-19 immunity
Mayo Clinic announced that it launched a new SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody test in support of efforts to establish therapies and vaccines for COVID-19. As part of the Expanded Access Program for Convalescent Plasma and other critical research efforts, Mayo Clinic intends to make the test available to select labs, blood banks and biopharma clients later […]
Siemens Healthineers wins EUAs for additional COVID-19 antibody tests
More than a week after granting EUAs for COVID-19 antibody tests produced by Siemens Healthineers (ETR: SHL), FDA has authorized additional tests from the German medtech giant. The new EUAs, granted June 8, are for tests running on Siemens Healthineers Dimension Vista and Dimension® EXL systems. The tests already started shipping on May 29. Siemens Healthineers previously […]
Grifols starts production of COVID-19 prevention drug
Grifols (NSDQ:GRFS) announced today that it began production of its anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune immunoglobulin with specific antibodies for combating COVID-19. Barcelona-based Grifols touts the prevention drug, developed from the plasma of people who have overcome the disease, as the first specific drug developed to fight COVID-19, according to a news release. Get the full story at our sister […]
Regeneron launches clinical trial of COVID-19 antibody ‘cocktail’
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:REGN) announced today that it initiated the first clinical trial of its dual antibody cocktail for preventing COVID-19. The REGN-COV2 clinical program will include populations of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, non-hospitalized symptomatic COVID-19 patients, uninfected people in groups that have a high risk of exposure (healthcare workers or first responders, for example) and uninfected people […]
ThermoGenesis files for patent on device to improve COVID-19 antibody detection
ThermoGenesis Holdings (NSDQ:THMO) announced today that it filed patent applications for its point-of-care COVID-19 antibody detection device. Rancho Cordova, Calif.-based ThermoGenesis’ device is designed to improve the speed and accuracy of lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) in detecting COVID-19 IgM and IgG antibodies from a single drop of blood. In a news release, ThermoGenesis chief technology […]
Moderna to begin Phase 3 of COVID-19 vaccine study in July
Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) announced today that it expects to begin dosing in Phase 3 of the clinical trial for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in July. The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech company said in a news release that it finalized the Phase 3 study protocol for the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on feedback from the FDA. The […]
CMS releases guidance on resuming elective procedures
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidelines for non-emergent, non-COVID-19-related healthcare as facilities reopen. In March, CMS recommended that healthcare providers postpone elective procedures until further notice to preserve personal protective equipment. An April 16 White House recommendation gave the green light for elective surgical procedures to resume. CMS now says, in […]