Novo Nordisk A/S has entered into exclusive negotiations for a controlling stake in Biocorp SA, suppliers of Mallya, a Bluetooth-enabled smart add-on device for insulin pen injectors. The takeover will be phased over several stages. Novo Nordisk has initially negotiated with Bio Jag SAS, Biocorp’s principal shareholder, to purchase its entire stake in Biocorp, representing 45.3% of the share capital and 62.19% of the voting rights. Certain minority shareholders, including Nyenburgh Holding BV, Greenstock EIG and Vatel Capital SAS, who together account for 19% of Biocorp’s shares, have agreed to transfer their shares to Novo Nordisk once acquisition of the Bio Jag stake is complete.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Galderma, Masimo, Sparrow Bioacoustics.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Ceres, Biocorp, Clario, Eresearchtechnology, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk, Rockley, Sensydia, Titan.
New hires and promotions in the med-tech industry, including: Advanced Sterilization, Angle, Electromed, Komodo Health, Medtronic, Miromatrix, Perimeter Medical.
The U.S. FDA reported a class I recall for a subset of the Impella 5.5 with Smartassist due to leakage of purge fluid from a pump sidearm that could ultimately lead to a loss of pump function. Abiomed Inc., the maker of the device, had previously introduced corrective measures intended to suppress the problem with leakage, but those corrections have not completely resolved the problem, leading to the withdrawal of 466 units that were distributed in the U.S. between Sept. 8, 2021, and March 6, 2023.
Creo Medical Group plc says it is poised to address the mismatch between the advances in screening technology, which are making it possible to detect early-stage lung cancer, and the current invasive and inappropriate methods of treating it, following the first-in-human use of its Microblate Flex microwave ablation device.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) has been signed into law by U.S. President Joseph Biden, heralding a five-year span in which increases in discretionary budget spending will be limited to 1% after a flat funding picture in the coming fiscal year. While the news might seem to portend a flat budget picture for agencies such as the FDA and the National Institutes of Health, a new analysis by the Alliance for a Stronger FDA indicates that congressional intent might at least slightly overcome the limits imposed by the FRA.
The 2023 American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting featured several notable developments on the diagnostics side, including significant advances in multi-cancer early detection (MCED). Grail Inc. presented its results from SYMPLIFY, the first major study of its MCED test in symptomatic patients. The test showed a negative predictive value of more than 97% and a positive predictive value that exceeded 75% in individuals who presented to primary care with non-specific symptoms that prompted a referral for cancer evaluation.