The pharma industry has put its weight behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, reversing a longstanding fundraising trend that has favored the GOP. Republican candidates have received 64% of pharma industry contributions since 1990, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ Open Secrets. But the industry is shifting its support to Democrats in 2020. So far, donors with links […]
Donald Trump
FDA defies Trump on vaccine approval timeline
The FDA today told COVID-19 vaccine developers that it needs two months’ worth of safety data before it will consider emergency approvals. The agency’s move cast further doubt on a vaccine against SARS-COV-2 being ready by election day, November 3 — a notion mentioned repeatedly by President Trump in attempts to pressure the agency to […]
Feds shipping 100M of Abbott’s rapid COVID-19 tests to states
The U.S. federal government has started shipping 100 million of the Abbott (NYSE:ABT) rapid COVID-19 tests to states to support school reopenings and more. “For example, the support my administration is providing would allow every state to, on a very regular basis, test every teacher who needs it. This continues our critical effort to use testing […]
Report: AstraZeneca Phase III COVID-19 vaccine remains on hold in U.S.
AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) is reportedly keeping its COVID-19 vaccine trial in the U.S. on hold as questions remain over patient safety. U.S. Health and Human Services Dept. Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC yesterday that federal investigators are looking for “answers to important questions,” regarding the safety of patients involved in the trial operated by the United Kingdom-based company in […]
Ambu, Boston Sci execs see domination for single-use scopes
Hospital closures connected to COVID-19 have cut into the sales of many medical device companies, but executives at rival makers of single-use scopes say pandemic has only heightened existing concerns about contamination, exposure and cost. In interviews in this week’s DeviceTalks Weekly Podcast, executives from Ambu A/S and Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) said improved technology make […]
The top 5 MassDevice stories of the week — September 11, 2020
From the Theranos case to wearable medical devices, it’s been another busy news week for the medical device industry. Want to hear more about the week’s top news? Executive editor Chris Newmarker and Tom Salemi will discuss the week’s “Newmarker’s Newsmakers” during our DeviceTalks Weekly podcast. Without further ado, here’s this week’s MassDevice Top Five: […]
How the presidential election could affect medtech
No matter who ends up in the White House, there will need to be a reckoning over how the government’s relationship with medtech has changed, according to industry insiders. It’s been a tumultuous few years for the medical device industry, with highs and lows that no one could have foreseen. President Donald Trump’s administration streamlined […]
Drug companies agree not to release COVID-19 vaccine until it’s ready
Executives from nine different drug companies today announced a pledge to ensure safety with a potential COVID-19 vaccine. The CEOs of AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN), BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Merck (NYSE:MRK), Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA), Novavax (NSDQ:NVAX), Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), all of whom are developing vaccine candidates, all signed the pledge, which vows to “uphold the integrity of the scientific process” […]
Biden is getting the most money from medtech employees
Medtech company employees and their families have donated $289,533 to former Vice President Joe Biden, versus $190,570 for President Donald Trump, according to OpenSecrets.org. Check out our breakdown covering 25 of the largest companies. Medical device company employees’ preference in the U.S. presidential election appears to be clear: They’re providing more money to the Democratic […]
BREAKING: U.S. to reportedly pay Abbott $750M for new COVID-19 tests
Multiple reports have said President Trump will announce a $750 million deal with Abbott (NYSE:ABT) for 150 million of its rapid COVID-19 antigen tests. As first reported by Politico before being confirmed by other outlets, a White House official said that Trump will announce the deal tonight, using his speech at the Republican National Convention to […]
Hahn apologizes for convalescent plasma claim
Under intense criticism for his statement that convalescent plasma donated by former coronavirus patients could reduce COVID-19 deaths by 35%, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn apologized on Twitter late Monday. The agency announced on Sunday that it had granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) for plasma donated by coronavirus survivors as a treatment for new patients. President Trump, […]
