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, […]
Feds’ convalescent plasma claim questioned
Scientists are questioning the Trump administration’s claim for the effectiveness of convalescent plasma in preventing deaths from COVID-19, according to published reports. President Trump and the heads of the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services all said on Sunday that plasma donated by former coronavirus patients has reduced deaths by 35%. Their […]
Report: Top FDA official vows to quit if vaccine approved prematurely
A top FDA official has threatened to resign if the Trump administration moves too quickly to approve a vaccine for COVID-19, according to a published report. Peter Marks, director of the agency’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), made the threat over concerns a vaccine would be approved without being proven safe and effective, […]
Report: Will Dr. Hahn crack under political pressure?
Many jobs have come with increased stress levels during the coronavirus pandemic, from ICU staff to Walmart greeters. Now officials who’ve been keeping tabs on FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn are wondering whether he can weather the strain of defending science while working for the Trump administration, according to a New York Times report. Hahn […]
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