Medtronic plc hit a sweet spot with its diabetes devices, with the unit leading the company in growth in its first quarter 2025 results. Diabetes device sales grew 11.8% to $647 million for the quarter, an important boost that pushed total revenue up to $7.9 billion ($8.01 billion, adjusted), a 2.8% reported increase or 5.3% exchange rate impact. No other unit saw more than single-digit increases in sales.

The U.S. FDA recently granted Medtronic plc approval for its deep brain stimulation (DBS) system to be used to treat Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor while a patient is asleep, under general anesthesia. The approval gives patients another option for DBS therapy which can transform their quality of life, Amaza Reitmeier, vice president and general manager for Medtronic brain modulation, told BioWorld in an interview.

There is no evidence to support the differences in prices that the U.K.’s national health service (NHS) is paying for transcatheter heart valves from Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific Corp., Edwards Lifesciences Corp. and Medtronic plc, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Nevro Corp. retained advisors to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the business or acquisitions that could shift its focus to earlier points in the pain management process. The spinal cord stimulator company faces increased competition in its core market.

The first economic modelling of Boston Scientific Corp.’s pulsed field ablation system in U.K.’s National Health Service showed that it is more cost-effective as a treatment for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation compared to standard cryoablation.

The draft version of the U.S. Medicare hospital outpatient rule for 2025 carries more than a dozen applications for a new technology pass-through payment next year, but Boston Scientific Corp.’s Agent balloon for treatment of in-stent restenosis might not be eligible for NTPT payment because of a debate over whether the device can be assigned to an existing Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System code.

As new treatment options are being continually investigated and trialed against Parkinson’s disease, the possibilities offered by deep brain stimulation (DBS) risk being overlooked. Though not a cure, the therapy could vastly improve the quality of life for patients with the disease.

Boston Scientific Corp. continued its journey down the acquisition highway with its announced plan to acquire stroke products maker Silk Road Medical Inc. for $27.50 a share, or approximately $1.16 billion.

Kardium Inc. landed $104 million in new financing for its Globe mapping and ablation system for atrial fibrillation, positioning it to enter the rapidly changing field in the U.S. The funds will allow the company to finish its PULSAR trial, secure FDA approval and launch its pulsed field ablation system commercially, Kardium Chief Financial Officer Koert VandenEnden told BioWorld.

The U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recent recommendation that selective internal radiation therapy could be used to treat neuroendocrine tumors that have metastasized to the liver is a boon for patients suffering from the disease. However, there is not yet a clear pathway for these patients to receive the therapy via the national health service.