Abbott Laboratories Inc. reported late-breaking data from the Bright study which showed that its Triclip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system reduced tricuspid regurgitation and improved the quality of life of patients with leaky tricuspid valves. The results from the largest real-world dataset were presented, for the first time, at the EuroPCR 2023 conference in Paris.
It has become apparent that introducing two stents into the body to treat a patient with a bifurcation disease is not necessary and can be harmful, David Hildick-Smith, the lead investigator in a study, told delegates at the EuroPCR conference in Paris. Presenting late-breaking clinical data of three-year follow up results of different stenting strategies in patients with true left main stem bifurcation lesions, Hildick-Smith said that the results showed that only one in five patients needed a second stent.
Creative Balloons GmbH has changed its name to Advanced Medical Balloons GmbH and is bringing its fecal management system, Hygh-tec, to the U.S. market after receiving clearance from the U.S. FDA. Hygh-tec is a microscopically thin polyurethane balloon catheter system which enables reliable, sealed access to the colon preventing fecal leakage from patients in intensive care units.
An increasing number of European med-tech companies are first seeking regulatory approval from the U.S. FDA because of the growing backlog and frustrations with requirements under the new regulatory framework of the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR), which has been described as “not working.”
Eitan Medical Ltd. plans to launch its Avoset infusion system into the U.S. later this year, following the introduction of the multi-therapy ambulatory infusion system into the European market. The connected Avoset infusion system is expected to transform the way patients receive treatment in post-acute care, as it enables remote monitoring of infusion treatment which will enhance patient safety and improve the user experience.
Med-tech companies often use robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to transform healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes. However, the current hype around generative AI, such as ChatGPT, and the explosion in the use of data are raising questions around regulation, reimbursement, and whether AI and robotics are the right tools for certain jobs, participants heard at the LSX World Congress in London.
Companies such asMedtronic plc have become risk averse and are unlikely to takeover early stage medtech firms, Ori Hadomi, vice president strategic initiatives & partnerships, at Medtronic, told delegates at the LSX World Congress in London. Hadomi, who joined Dublin-based Medtronic after his firm Mazor Robotics Inc. was taken over by the company in a $1.64 billion deal in 2018, told early-stage startups “don’t waste their time” in approaching the company.
Med-tech companies are facing a new reality of high interest rates, inflation, bank failures, and geopolitical turmoil that are impacting financing and M&A opportunities. To secure finance and attract partnership deals they must keep their product simple, focus on proof of concept and ensure that it has quality, delegates at the LSX World Congress in London heard during a panel presentation.
Using direct current to stimulate a chronic wound can help it to heal up to three times faster, researchers from Chalmers Institute of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Freiburg, Germany, found. Working from a well-known hypothesis that the skin is electrostatic, the researchers engineered a microfluidic biochip on which skin cells were cultured. They then made tiny wounds in two cells. One was allowed to heal naturally while the other was stimulated with electricity.
Ultromics Ltd. has been granted a U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation for its artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced platform to aid early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis. Echogo Amyloidosis uses AI to analyze echocardiograms and detect the presence of cardiac amyloidosis, using a single commonly acquired ultrasound view of the heart. The platform was developed with the support of Janssen Biotech Inc., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, a unit of Johnson & Johnson.
