Redwood City, Calif.-based surgical robotics company Auris Health Inc. has just raised $220 million to back its commercialization and development efforts, bringing the total raised to more than $700 million since it was founded in 2007. Efforts at Auris started to heat up in 2016, when it acquired another Moll company, Hansen Medical for $80 million, and its Magellan robotic system that was geared toward intravascular, peripheral procedures including the placement of interventional implants. (See BioWorld MedTech, April 21, 2016.)

Since its June IPO debut, Electrocore Inc. has seen its valuation cut by more than half. Like many newly public med-tech companies, it's not profitable yet and relying solely on investor assessments of the eventual market for its technology. The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based company now has a new way to expand its revenue – an FDA clearance for its Gammacore handheld vagus nerve stimulator as an adjunct to standard of care to prevent cluster headaches.

Colfax Corp. shares plummeted 14 percent in early trading on the news that the technology conglomerate plans to purchase private equity-owned orthopedics company DJO Global Inc. (for DonJoy Orthopedics) for $3.15 billion in cash. The Annapolis Junction, Md.-based company sees DJO as the basis of a medical technology platform business; it's also evaluating strategic options for disposing of its existing air and gas handling business.

Smiths Group plc has opted to separate its main business from its medical device unit, Smiths Medical. The London-based industrial conglomerate said that the move would allow the unit to reach its full potential by focusing on new product launches and market opportunities. The move is still in the early planning stages, with more details to come in March on the next earnings call.

Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD) gained U.S. FDA clearance for its BD Phoenix CPO detect test. It is used to identify infections caused by carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs). Typically, these are antimicrobial resistant infections that result in very high mortality rates. The test will be included on BD Phoenix gram-negative panels that offer antibiotic susceptibility testing to identify the best treatment for a specific infection.

Vapotherm Inc. managed to get its IPO out, despite a tumultuous recent broader stock market. The Exeter, N.H.-based company raised $56 million by selling 4 million shares at $14 each, which was at the low end of its previously reported range. It plans to use the proceeds to expand its sales and marketing efforts, as well as to back further R&D.

Distinguishing indolent cancer, which is unlikely to spread, from an aggressive tumor that will metastasize to different parts of the body remains a challenge in practice. That makes it easy to overtreat indolent cancer, which is thought to be common particularly among prostate and breast cancers.

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) gained U.S. FDA clearance for its BD Phoenix CPO detect test. It is used to identify infections caused by carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs). Typically, these are antimicrobial resistant infections that result in very high mortality rates. The test will be included on BD Phoenix gram-negative panels that offer antibiotic susceptibility testing to identify the best treatment for a specific infection.