The ink is barely dry on the draft Medicare physician fee schedule for 2026, but three cardiology societies blasted the draft for cutting rates for left atrial appendage closure procedures – a move they said needlessly endangers patients.
Thoracic aortic dissection can progress to a highly lethal cardiac emergency, but it cannot usually be detected in early stages, so suitable biomarkers of progression are needed. Levels of C-reactive protein in serum rise during progression, but they also rise in infectious or autoimmune conditions, making the biomarker nonspecific.
Cryofocus Medtech (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. received U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation on July 24 for its cryoablation system for asthma. The Chinese med-tech’s stock (HKEX:6922) rose near 20% over two consecutive days on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with the news, increasing from HK$5.00 ($.64) July 23 to HK$5.98 nearing the close of trading on July 25.
Deepqure Inc. gained clinical trial clearance from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to test its Hyperqure renal denervation system for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
The U.S. FDA expanded the approval for use of Boston Scientific Corp.’s Watchman Flx and Watchman Flx Pro left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) devices to include post-ablation patients, bringing good news to the company as it preps for its second quarter earnings report on July 23.
Heartflow Inc. continued the steady rhythm of med-tech companies filing to go public, with an S-1 submitted to the U.S. SEC on July 17. The company joins 15 others that have completed IPOs in 2025 and one other in process – Carlsmed Inc., which a company spokesperson told BioWorld is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq on July 22.
Abbott Laboratories’ second quarter results echoed Johnson & Johnson’s, with med tech performing the hero’s work with strong growth. Overall, Abbott slightly beat expectations with sales up 6.9% overall compared to 2Q 2024, largely boosted by the med-tech unit’s organic revenue increase of 12.2%, and worldwide sales for the quarter of $11.1 billion. Diabetes provided a particularly bright spot with 19.5% year-over-year growth for continuous glucose monitoring devices.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a draft coverage memo for cardiac contractility modulation (CCM), which offers coverage with evidence development for the company’s Optimizer line of devices. CMS said it will issue the final coverage memo by Oct. 8, 2025, which will mark the achievement of an objective the company set for itself more than two decades ago.
Caranx Medical SAS secured clearance from the U.S. FDA for Tavipilot Soft, its AI-powered software which provides real-time intraoperative guidance during transcatheter heart valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. The software, which tracks anatomical and instrumental landmarks in real-time to enable precise and accurate heart valve positioning and delivery, will allow a broader number of cardiologists to perform this complex procedure.
The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has endorsed the use of pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation, and while several trusts in the U.K. are already using these devices for their patients, the endorsement is certain to expand utilization in the U.K., which according to data from Clarivate’s Epidemiology Intelligence may come to nearly 4 million.
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