MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A pair of outpatient clinics in Los Angeles stopped offering weight-loss surgeries using the Lap-Band gastrointestinal device amid ongoing controversy over a marketing campaign.
The FDA late last year issued warning letters to 8 California surgical centers and the marketing firm 1-800-GET-THIN, citing them for running misleading Lap-Band ads without required risk information.
Last week, Lap-Band maker Allergan (NYSE:AGN) announced that it would stop selling the device to companies affiliated with the 1-800-GET THIN campaign, MSNBC reported.
The Lap-Band is approved by the FDA for weight loss in obese adults. The device is implanted during surgery and uses an adjustable silicon ring to constrict the upper portion of the stomach.
Printing a prosthetic jaw
Belgian company LayerWise created a custom titanium mandible on a 3D printer, which surgeons used to replace the entire jaw of an elderly patient, ZDNet reported.
Consumer group pushes for more stringent device safety
Patient advocacy group Consumer Union headed to Washington D.C. to press lawmakers for improvements to the medical device user fee act, according to a press release.
Hospitals pay $12 million for false claims
The U.S. Dept. of Justice fined 14 U.S. hospitals a total of more than $12 million to settle allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare, Bloomberg reported.
Medtronic touts clinical results for peripheral arterial stent
1-year results from a clinical study of Medtronic’s (NYSE:MDT) Complete SE self-expanding peripheral artery stent found that it was 90% free from reinterventions, according to a press release.
