Angiotech acquires Device Company, Takes Control of its Destiny

Ever since drug-eluting stents became such an overwhelming success, the health care products industry has been trying to wrap its arms around convergence opportunities, in which the combination of drugs and devices is worth more than the sum of the parts and pieces. The ongoing debate has been: which part of combination products is it better to own--the drug or the device? According to one company that would probably define itself as the only "pure play" in convergence, Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc., the answer is: both. Angiotech just acquired diversified device manufacturer AMI Holdings.