Bear Stearns Healthcare Conference In Brief

Medtronic: Purchase of rapid-exchange stent-delivery technology from Johnson & Johnson is possible if the Federal Trade Commission requires J&J to sell the technology before completing its acquisition of Guidant. "Would we be interested? Yes...for the right price," Medtronic CFO Gary Ellis acknowledged at the Bear Stearns Healthcare Conference in New York Sept. 12. As conditions of approval for the acquisition, the European Commission and Canadian Competition Bureau are already requiring J&J to divest some businesses in their respective markets (1"The Gray Sheet" Sept. 5, 2005, In Brief). FTC is expected to rule on the proposed acquisition in October...