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The top 5 MassDevice stories of the week — November 20, 2020

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MassDevice Top Five medtech stories weekThe past week saw major news in the robotic surgery space, with Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) unveiling its new Ottava platform.

Want to hear more about the week’s top medtech news on MassDevice? Executive editor Chris Newmarker and Tom Salemi will discuss the week’s “Newmarker’s Newsmakers” — as well as fictional monsters that come out of the ocean — during our DeviceTalks Weekly podcast.

Without further ado, here’s this week’s MassDevice Top Five:

5. The new COVID-19 wave could be bad news for the medical device industry

Surging COVID-19 cases across the U.S. could hold medical procedures back for the rest of the year, according to a new report from UBS analysts. Read the full story. 

4. Alaris remediation could cost BD up to $244M

Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) in its most recent fiscal year set aside $244 million to cover future product remediation costs, including the company’s work to fix its problematic Alaris infusion pumps. Read the full story. 

3. The 20 largest medical device companies in the world

The information in this year’s annual Big 100 rankings of the world’s largest medical device companies is as interesting as ever. The 100 companies on this year’s list had medical device businesses bringing in a whopping $420.5 billion during their most recent fiscal years — a nearly 6% increase from the 2019 Big 100. But with many fiscal years ending in December 2019, Medical Design & Outsourcing and MassDevice will have to wait until next year to truly gauge the effect that the coronavirus and resulting recession had on the industry. Read the full story.

2. Boston Scientific throws in the towel on Lotus TAVR

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) announced that it has initiated a global, voluntary recall of its Lotus Edge aortic valve system — and is immediately retiring the Lotus program. Layoff announcements soon followed in Minnesota and Ireland.

1. Johnson & Johnson finally unveils its new robot-assisted surgery system

J&J shared details on its surgical robotic platform that it says offers unrivaled flexibility and control compared to the rest of the market. Read the full story.

 

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