Investors bailed on many med-tech companies last year, fearing that the frenzy surrounding GLP-1 agonists would tank companies in the weight-loss, diabetes and orthopedics segments. Their concerns now appear overblown in many instances, with some of the most directly affected businesses reporting a “rising tide” associated with an increased focus on obesity treatment that has lifted their boats rather than sinking them.
Zimvie Inc. will sell its spine business to private equity investor H.I.G. Capital for $375 million, a move that should clean up its balance sheet and allow it to focus on the more profitable dental business. The deal is structured as $315 million in cash plus a promissory note for $60 million with an interest rate of 10%, compounded semi-annually.
Orthofix Medical Inc. terminated its CEO, chief financial officer and chief legal officer in a move that plunged the stock from $18.63 at Monday’s close to $13.01 by the end of Tuesday. The clean sweep of the executive suite followed the “unanimous decision by the board’s independent directors to terminate for cause Keith Valentine, John Bostjancic and Patrick Keran,” the company said in a statement that named their interim replacements. Valentine was also asked to resign from the board.
Inovedis GmbH received clearance from the U.S. FDA for its Sinefix implant system, which can be used to repair rotator cuff tears. Sinefix allows surgeons to refix the rotator cuff tendon to the bone using a simplified surgical technique that aims to significantly reduce the time and cost of the procedure.
An increasing number of European med-tech companies are first seeking regulatory approval from the U.S. FDA because of the growing backlog and frustrations with requirements under the new regulatory framework of the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR), which has been described as “not working.”
The growing number of people taking up more active sports in China is powering the global market for orthopedic trauma devices through a surge in demand and the emergence of new lines of surgical products, particularly ones that can improve patient outcomes and experience.
More than two months after a voluntary recall by Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. (ZBio), the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Agency (MHRA) issued an alert confirming the U.K. National Joint Registry has identified that there are higher revision rates for certain of the company’s total knee replacement prostheses, as compared to all other knee replacements in the registry.
Globus Medical Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to buy Nuvasive Inc. in an all-stock transaction that will combine two leaders in the musculoskeletal industry into one of the largest companies in the spinal surgery market. While there are many companies in the spine market, the acquisition may still set off an alarm among regulators concerned about consolidation in the field. Both boards unanimously approved the deal.
Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. (ZBH) agreed to acquire Embody Inc. for $155 million at closing with an additional $120 million in contingent milestone payments over the next three years. The deal includes Embody’s entire portfolio of collagen-based regenerative solutions for soft tissue injuries. The transaction is expected to close in February.
