Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of leukemia in the U.S. and Europe and is most commonly found in Caucasian men 60 years and older. In the U.S., more than 15,000 patients are diagnosed with CLL each year, many of whom are discovered during routine medical exams. Up to 50% are at risk for accelerated progression while others live for many years and often do not require therapy. (Medical Device Daily)

After a few minor hurdles Cambridge Heart (Tewksbury, Massachusetts) is putting itself in a position to gain greater adoption for its lead product, the Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (MTWA) test, as well as gain a new indication for the application. (Medical Device Daily)

If it looks like a drug, and acts like a drug, then it must be a . . . device. It might sound strange but that's exactly the case for Ikaria's (Hampton, New Jersey) IK-5001, a therapy administered by injection to support the heart muscle.

One of the top concerns among healthcare executives in the U.S., Europe and Asia is the potential impact healthcare reform legislation will have on their supply chains, according to a new survey released by the United Parcel Service (UPS; Atlanta).

Money invested in med-tech firms isn't as much as it once was. One can look no further than BioEnterpise's (Cleveland) most recent venture investment study to see that venture capital financings aren't at the levels they used to be. The BioEnterprise Midwest HealthCare Venture Investment Report shows that while funding for the number of med-tech companies is high, the total dollars invested are down as compared to recent years. This is also resulting in the rise of Angel funding for many of these companies. (Medical Device Daily)

A new technique to stimulate heart tissue by low-energy pulses of blue light could lead to light-powered pacemakers in the future according to a recent study published in Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology, a journal of the American Heart Association (Washington). (Medical Device Daily)

Tuesday night during its quarterly meeting, the Southeastern Medical Device Association (SEMDA; Norcross, Georgia) unveiled its new logo and its new website, which is set to go live in the very near future. SEMDA seems to be increasing its presence and that’s a good thing because it and other trade associations are going to play a very important role in helping med-tech companies traverse the healthcare landscape in the near future. And med-tech companies are going to need it. The upcoming changes set to take place on the healthcare landscape are going to have a dramatic impact on med-tech companies...