A West Virginia federal judge yesterday dismissed nearly 150 product liability lawsuits brought against C.R. Bard (NYSE:BCR) over its pelvic mesh products, after an appeals court earlier this year upheld a $2 million verdict against the company in another suit. Judge Joseph Goodwin of the U.S. District Court for Southern West Virginia, who’s overseeing the multi-district […]
Medtronic
Urologix successor details dissolution plans
The successor to Urologix said today that it plans to completely dissolve during 2017, spelling the end for the Minneapolis-based urology device maker. Urologix, which made the Cooled ThermoTherapy and Prostiva RF devices to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, licensed Prostiva from Medtronic (NYSE:MDT). But after running up a $2.8 million tab on its Twin Cities neighbor, Urologix couldn’t come up […]
Medtronic launches Barrx 360 radiofrequncy ablation cath in US
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today it launched its Barrx 360 Express radiofrequency ablation balloon catheter designed to treat Barrett’s esophagus. The Barrx 360 Express is a self-adjusting circumferential RFA catheter designed for RFA treatments to remove diseased tissue in the esophagus while minimizing injury to health esophageal tissue. The Fridley, Minn.-based company said the treatment has been […]
Study: Medtronic touts increased AF detection with Reveal Linq system
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) today released 1-year results from a study of patients who experienced a cryptogenic stroke, claiming that its Reveal Linq insertable cardiac monitor was able to detect atrial fibrillation at a greater rate than previously reported in a 2014 clinical trial. Results from the real-world study were presented at the 68th American Academy of Neurology’s […]
Medtronic initiates voluntary recall of Covidien Oridion Capnostream batteries
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today it is initiating a voluntary recall of battery packs used with its Covidien Oridion labeled Capnostream 20 and 20p patient monitors due to a defect causing an increased risk of thermal damage in the packs. Capnostream monitors are external devices used to assess respiratory status and identify changes in breathing, the Fridley, […]
Material in Medtronic’s cardiac leads makes the Space Technology Hall of Fame
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that lead material used in its cardiac leads, NASA Langley Research Center-Soluble Imide, was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the Space Foundation’s 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo. The material, originally developed as an insulation material used for space applications, high-performance engines […]
Medtronic prices $3B offering
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) today priced a massive $3 billion offering, looking to reduce its debt as it continues its journey towards an A credit profile. Charges from the offering will be recognized as a 1-time expense in its 4th fiscal quarter and will be excluded from its non-GAAP results, Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic said. The medtech giant added […]
IBM Watson’s DiSanzo updates on partnerships, regulatory compliance
International Business Machine (NYSE:IBM)’s Watson Health biz CEO Deborah DiSanzo spoke yesterday on how the company aims to improve how healthcare firms handle and use their data and updated on partnerships with Boston Children’s Hospital and Medtronic. DiSanzo spoke at the MassMedic conference in Boston, covering these and more issues involving the company’s cognitive computing system, […]
Medtronic touts insulin pump study
Patients with Type II diabetes fared better with Medtronic‘s (NYSE:MDT)MiniMed Paradigm Veo insulin pumps that with multiple daily injections, according to a Medtronic-backed study published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism. Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic said the 331-patient Opt2mise clinical trial compared the MDI cohort with the MiniMed-treated group; after 6 months, the MDI cohort was moved to the […]
Sen. Franken pushes for review of Medtronic Infuse study
Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) is pushing for more details on Medtronic‘s (NYSE:MDT) study of its Infuse Bone Graft, saying that the product may have “potentially skewed the risk profile” for patients and exposed “insufficient vigilance” by the FDA, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The senator raised these concerns in a letter to both Medtronic […]
Foundry spinout Fire1 raises $7.5m Series B
Stealthy Irish medical device startup Fire1 said today that its investors, including Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), put up another $7.5 million for its Series B round. Dublin-based Fire1, a spinout from medical device incubator The Foundry, also said it tapped former ResMed (NYSE:RMD) executive Conor Hanley to be its president & CEO and added another pair of senior […]