Report: ICD market recovers in January

The Marketrack service of Millennium Research Group (MRG; Waltham, Massachusetts) reported that the total U.S. market for cardiac rhythm management (CRM) devices, including pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), exceeded $500 million in January 2007, with the ICD market growing almost 5% in January of this year over January 2006.

Medtronic (Minneapolis) continues to be the leader in the U.S. ICD market followed by St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) and Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts). Medtronic gained 1% market share in January over 4Q06, possibly an early response to its new "What's Inside" ad campaign, launched in mid-January, according to Millennium. The campaign, featuring online, print, and television ads, is intended to spur growth in the once declining ICD market.

Medical Action to shutter facility

Medical Action Industries (MAI; Hauppauge, New York), a supplier of medical and surgical disposable products, reported that after review of its recently acquired Medegen Medical Products (Scottsdale, Arizona) operations, it will close Medegen's leased facility in Northglenn, Colorado, to be conducted in phases beginning in August and completed about March 2008. The operations conducted in the Colorado plant will be consolidated into Medegen's Tennessee facility, and some products will be outsourced.

About 70 Medegen employees and 90 leased employees are affected by the consolidation in Colorado, the company said.

Paul Meringolo, president/CEO of MAI, said that the consolidation "was a necessary part of the Medegen integration plan to reduce its overall cost structure and increase efficiency. Our employees in the Colorado facility are a valuable part of our team, and many will be offered the opportunity to relocate to Tennessee."

MAI is a manufacturer of disposable medical devices. Its products are marketed primarily to acute care facilities in domestic and certain international markets. Further, Medical Action has expanded its target market to include physician, dental and veterinary office, out-patient surgery centers and long-term facilities.

BioPharm becomes LabCentrix

BioPharm Informatics (Framingham, Massachusetts), a provider of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) consulting services and lab technology solutions, said that its name was changed to LabCentrix effective Jan. 31.

LabCentrix said it has built a strong reputation for its comprehensive consulting services working with some of the largest laboratories in the world and deploying LIMS software solutions that truly fit each lab's needs.

NASDAQ news . . .

Datascope (Montvale, New Jersey) reports that it has requested a hearing before the NASDAQ listing qualifications panel in response to the receipt of a NASDAQ staff determination letter indicating that it is not in compliance with the filing requirements for continued listing as set forth in marketplace rule 4310(c)(14). The letter was issued in accordance with NASDAQ procedures due to the previously announced delayed filing of Datascope's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2006.

Datascope specializes in intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation and makes proprietary products for clinical health care markets in interventional cardiology and radiology, cardiovascular and vascular surgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine and critical care.