Medtronic (Minneapolis) is reporting that its pivotal trial in renal denervation for treatment-resistant hypertension, the SYMPLICITY HTN-3, has failed to meet its primary efficacy endpoint and that it suspending enrollment in other SYMPLICITY trials around the world.

In what is looking to be first med-tech acquisition reaching the billion dollar mark this year, GE Healthcare (Chalfont, UK) reported its intent to acquire Thermo Fisher's (Waltham, Massachusetts) HyClone cell culture media and sera, and gene modulation and magnetic beads businesses for about $1.06 billion. The acquisition will allow GE to expand its offering of technologies for the discovery and manufacturing of innovative new medicines, vaccines and diagnostics in its growing life sciences business.

A new prospective study finds that the use of iRhythm's (San Francisco) ZIO Service significantly increased detection of cardiac arrhythmias, compared to the use of the traditional Holter monitor. The findings, published and made publicly accessible online in the January issue of the American Journal of Medicine, give the company ammunition in its bid to have the ZIO Service, comprised of the ZIO Patch, proprietary algorithms and ZIO Report, become the new standard for ambulatory monitoring of patients with suspected arrhythmia.