The prevalence of valvular heart disease in the U.S. is tough to peg with any great precision, but an extrapolation of data from a new study would put the number at roughly 10.6 million people, a staggering number when the clinical and fiscal implications are considered.

Penumbra Inc.’s 'resoundingly positive' results from its STORM-PE trial could see current guidelines for anticoagulant use in pulmonary embolism swept away in favor of mechanical thrombectomy. A deluge of favorable comments by experts and analysts followed the presentation during a late-breaking session at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics, the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, which showed more than 50% improvement in treatment effect from Penumbra’s computer-assisted vacuum thrombectomy system plus anticoagulation compared to anticoagulation alone within two days with no increase in major adverse events.

Sustaining healthy weight loss is about so much more than cutting calories or injecting drugs, as many GLP-1 users are finding out. Withings SA continues to expand its obesity care management ecosystem and the capabilities of its connected scale to support patients through their weight loss journey and their lives after reaching goal, potentially addressing the vexing problem of patients rapidly regaining all – and often more – weight once they discontinue the drugs.

Staar Surgical Co. reported on Oct. 24 that it had adjourned its special meeting of stockholders scheduled in connection with its proposed $1.5 billion sale to Alcon AG in the face of objections from some of its major shareholders and at least three proxy firms.

With the number of beats Boston Science Corp. has posted in recent years, it could be auditioning as a heavy metal drummer. Third quarter results kept up the streak, with overall sales 2% ahead of consensus at $5.07 billion and earnings per share of 75 cents, 5% above the Street’s expectations. The company’s two market-transforming products, Watchman and Farapulse, led the strong across-the-board performance, which would be no surprise by now except when looking at the stunning growth rates and sales both posted in the same quarter last year.

The Advanced Medical Technology Association has updated its code of ethics for interactions with health care professionals, which includes some much-needed updates that address both the burgeoning reliance on data and the increasing emphasis on the part of U.S. regulators on data security.

Interim results from the PRIMAVERA study published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that Science Corp.'s Prima retinal implant restored vision, enabling 80% of patients to read at 12 months. Participants had age-related macular degeneration-related geographic atrophy resulting in total loss of central vision.

In the largest med-tech M&A deal in nearly three years, Hologic Inc. agreed to be acquired by funds led by Blackstone and TPG in a transaction valued at $18.3 billion. After five months of rumored negotiations, the outlined deal provides Hologic shareholders with $76 per share in cash plus up to $3 per share in contingent value rights (CVR) to be paid on achievement of revenue goals for the breast health business over the next two years.

San Diego-based Dexcom Inc., is the target of a class action lawsuit in U.S. district court over the company’s G7 continuous glucose monitors, an action which follows a U.S. FDA warning letter by a mere seven months and a recall announced in July, suggesting that litigation often follows other sources of bad news for firms in the med-tech business.

The Trump administration’s consideration of a new round of tariffs has prompted two major med-tech trade association to advise the White House to leave medical consumables and medical devices out of any new tariffs, citing concerns about the impact on patient care.