Whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) advances in his quest to become the top health care voice in the Trump administration could come down to one vote – that of Sen. Bill Cassidy. The Louisiana doctor is one of 14 Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee, which is scheduled to vote Feb. 4 on whether to send Kennedy’s nomination as Health and Human Services secretary to the full Senate for confirmation. If all 13 Democrats on the committee vote against it, one no vote from a Republican could stop the process. Read More
President Donald Trump’s penchant for tariffs as a negotiating tool was on full display when he slapped a 25% tariff on products coming from Mexico and Canada – which may already been suspended in the case of Mexico. The actual impact of the tariffs on med tech is nonetheless tough to gauge due in no small part to the prospect that manufacturers will simply pass on at least part of the tariff to its customers in the U.S. Read More
Concluding a two-year journey, Baxter International Inc.’s kidney care unit finally separated from the company and started a new life as Vantive, following the closing on Jan. 31 of its $3.8 billion sale to the Carlyle Group Inc. Read More
Essilorluxottica SA received U.S. FDA clearance for its over-the-counter Nuance Audio Glasses, which combines sight and sound technologies, to help people improve their vision and hearing. The device also received a CE mark certification under the Medical Devices Regulation from the EU authorities. Read More
The EU’s Medical Device Coordination Group issued a guidance on the types of products that qualify as in vitro diagnostics (IVDs), including some important distinctions even in instances in which a given analyte is the subject of two tests. Read More
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Alpha Tau Medical, Bios Health, Myndspan, Surmodics. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Bioretec, Essilorluxottica, Roche. Read More
