INFUSE Review Leads To Discussion And Some Discord At NASS

Medtronic PLC’s exhibit at the North American Spine Society (NASS) 28th Annual Meeting in October was a gap in the otherwise toothy bright smile on the technical floor. The company chose to set up only a few modest tables, a couch, and a booth, providing a stark contrast to the other exhibits on the floor, but that was the point. Medtronic executives sent a message. They were disappointed with the tone of the conference’s discussions regarding recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), the key ingredient in Medtronic’s INFUSE bone graft. The company kept its sales people away from the booth, making only medical affairs personnel available to answer clinical question from doctors. (See Also see "Medtronic “Repurposes” Spine Convention Booth To Tell Its Side of BMP Story" - In Vivo, 14 October, 2013..)

Medtronic’s subdued showing revealed the sometimes rocky relationship among industry, clinicians, and academia. Just a few months earlier, Medtronic stood...