Top executives at Intuitive Surgical (Nasdaq: ISRG) have sole-source suppliers on their minds as they ramp up manufacturing capacity in the face of continued supply chain challenges. The robotic surgery technology developer’s growth and mindfulness of supply chain resiliency could bring new opportunities for Intuitive’s suppliers — along with competition from others who want in. […]
supply chain
How medtech is tackling supply chain challenges
Join us at DeviceTalks Boston on May 10-11 to hear how medical device companies are propping open supply lines and ensuring a steady flow of products to customers in a constantly changing world. Sharing best practices is more important than ever because supply chain challenges aren’t expected to diminish post-pandemic. That’s because superstorms, fires, droughts and other extreme […]
Moody’s warns of continued supply chain and labor problems for medtech
Moody’s warned investors that supply chain disruptions and healthcare worker shortages will continue to pressure medical product and device companies in 2022. The good news from the Moody’s Healthcare Quarterly report? The supply chain issues are manageable, with Moody’s estimating that transportation costs average less than 3% of revenue for most large, rated device companies, […]
Medtronic CFO offers supply chain update as medical device industry concerns mount
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) was among the participants in a White House semiconductor summit last week to address the continuing global shortage of electronic chips. Still, CFO Karen Parkhill says the world’s largest medical device manufacturer is not in the same dire straits as chip buyers in other industries. Medtronic’s supply chain is “holding up OK, but […]
FDA seeks expanded authority to boost medical device supply chain
The FDA announced as part of its annual budget proposal that it will seek $21.6 million for a new Resilient Supply Chain and Shortages Prevention Program (RSCSPP). Funding from the RSCSPP for the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) will provide — the FDA says, for the first time — resources to establish a […]
Biden administration wants to boost funding for new pharma manufacturing processes
The Biden administration today released findings from 100-day supply chain assessments, determining the need to boost pharmaceutical manufacturing. According to a fact sheet, the administration plans to take immediate action to “address vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience” with its effort to take on near-term supply chain disruptions for four products: semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging; large […]
FDA seeks more money, authority in budget request
The FDA wants more money from Congress for the coming fiscal year — and more power, too. Out of its $6.5 billion total budget, the agency is asking $676.55 million for its medical device program. That includes $571 million for the Center for Devices & Radiological Health (CDRH) and $105.4 million for the Office of Regulatory […]
AdvaMed wants input on Biden pandemic DPA use
AdvaMed reacted to President Joe Biden’s plan to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to tackle the pandemic with some cautionary words. In a letter responding to Biden’s 200-page COVID-19 plan, the medtech trade group asked for collaboration and urged the president to consider the industry’s experience with DPA orders issued by former President Trump. Get the full story […]
10 trends that will matter for life sciences in 2021
One silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has accelerated the rate of change for pharma and life sciences fields in general. The pandemic has forced a rethink of how to manage clinical trials and treat patients in hospitals and their homes. And the breakneck speed of vaccine development in 2020 could potentially […]
Congressional leaders want more info on COVID supply chain
Leaders in both houses of Congress want federal trade officials to further investigate the supply chain for COVID-19-related goods and devices, but don’t expect any answers before December. Members of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees wrote a letter to U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) chairman Jason Kearns last week, asking for a more […]
COVID-19 lessons learned: 2 manufacturers, a healthcare system and a logistics company share their wisdom
The COVID-19 pandemic put medtech contract manufacturers, OEMs, distributors and healthcare providers in situations for which they were unprepared, particularly with their supply chains. What they learned will undoubtedly help them all going forward, especially if the world faces a second wave or another novel virus. Here are some supply chain lessons learned by a […]