Varian Medical Systems Inc. acquired private clinical decision support (CDS) software company, Evinance Innovation Inc., to bolster Varian's 360 Oncology care management platform aimed at providing point-of-care clinical decision information, and cancer guidelines and adherence tools to oncology teams. Evinance's Decision Support tool can bring evidence-based clinical information to the bedside to guide treatment and improve quality of care. Financial details were not disclosed.
Private firm Procept Biorobotics Corp. netted $118 million in equity financing from new and existing investors to globally commercialize its minimally invasive Aquablation technology to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The funding was led by Viking Global Investors LP, and included Perceptive Advisors and CPMG Inc., new and returning investors, respectively. The company garnered $52 million in earlier funding rounds, totaling $170 million raised so far.
Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies' orthopedics business, Depuy Synthes, has acquired French private surgical technology company, Orthotaxy, and its robotic-assisted surgery solution for total and partial knee replacement in development. The purchase will bolster Johnson & Johnson's orthopedic surgery platform, which is cost effective and efficient in various care paradigms. The sale was completed through the French affiliate Apsis SAS, and financials were not disclosed.
Stryker Corp. won FDA approval for expanded indication of its Trevo Retriever device for frontline treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke, widening the time window for the clot removal device from six to 24 hours. The FDA nod followed a change in stroke guidelines issued in late January by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association (ASA) to allow for the longer recommended treatment period thereby increasing the of patients who would undergo clot removal, or thrombectomy.
As medical devices incorporate connectivity, they provide greater opportunities for convenience, service, and information for consumers and companies, but also are increasing vulnerable to cyber threats. In this environment, Attivo Networks and Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD) have validated a deception solution for medical technology cybersecurity threats through a partnership bringing Attivo's Botsink solution to a select number of BD devices. The two firms collaborated through BD's Product Security Partnership Program and created "mirror-match decoy authenticity" software for some of BD's devices, a method designed to redirect an attack from reaching important information or networks.
Abiomed Inc. was awarded an expanded PMA to treat heart failure linked to cardiomyopathy resulting in cardiogenic shock, adding to the April 2016 indication for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), cardiogenic shock, and post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock. The expansion is applied to Impella 2.5, Impella CP, Impella 5.0 and Impella LD heart pumps, which are temporary ventricular support devices for short use in order to alleviate ventricle strain and provide time for recovery and functional assessment.
Commercial-stage health care, pharmaceutical and medical technology investor, 1315 Capital LLC, closed a growth equity fund at more than $300 million, surpassing its target of $250 million. The fund, 1315 Capital II, is the firm's second fund after a 2016 closing, and was financed by endowment, foundation, family office partners, and public and private pension.
Northstar Medical Radioisotopes LLC won FDA approval for its Radiogenix system for radioisotope separation to produce the medical isotope technetium-99 (Tc-99m) with the company's non-uranium molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). Approval has followed partial development funding by the Department of Energy and represents the first domestic source of Mo-99 in more than 25 years, which is hoped to alleviate supply disruptions, reliance on foreign supply, and environmental and nuclear concerns.
