1. Medtech Insight
  2. >>Archive

Picking up the Pacing in Obesity: Medtronic acquires Transneuronix

Medtronic soon will be able to offer a less invasive and safer surgical alternative to gastric bypass surgery, now that it has acquired Transneuronix for $260 million. Transneuronix has developed a gastric pacing device known as Transcend, which stimulates the stomach, and it appears to affect multiple mechanisms in obesity. The device has been approved in Europe, and has been implanted in more than 700 patients worldwide. In the US, Transneuronix has completed enrollment for its pivotal clinical trial.

You can't pick up a newspaper these days without finding obesity discussed as an epidemic in the US. In fact, there are 23 million Americans with a body mass index of 35 or greater, which means that they exceed their ideal weight by about 100 pounds. There are 8 million Americans that are even worse off, with a body mass index of 40 or more. This isn't just a cosmetic concern: the co-morbidities of obesity include cardiopulmonary failure, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and asthma; consequences so deadly, that, when they occur in 30 million severely obese people, justify surgery, according to a 1991 consensus statement from the National Institutes of Health . That consensus hasn't been updated, but Elizabeth H. Singer, a spokesperson for the institutes does admit that, at least as observed from uncontrolled studies, surgical procedures can produce larger and more sustained weight loss than non-surgical treatments, including exercise, lifestyle modification or even drugs.

Drug treatments for obesity largely don't work, chiefly because it is a multifactorial disease in a system that has many redundancies. Gary Lubben, VP and general manager of Medtronic Inc....

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Medtech Insight for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Archive

Final Chance To Have Your Say: Take Our Reader Survey This Week

 
• By Ryan Nelson

Editor’s note: This is your final call to participate in the survey to better understand our subscribers’ content and delivery needs. The deadline is 20 September.

Shape Our Content: Take The Reader Survey

 
• By Ryan Nelson

Editor’s note: We are conducting a survey to better understand our subscribers’ content and delivery needs. If there are any changes you’d like to see in coverage topics, content format or the method in which you receive and access Medtech Insight, or if you love it how it is, now is the time to have your voice heard.

Patients With Movement Disorders Will Benefit From Medtronic’s Expanded MRI Labeling For DBS

 
• By Marion Webb

Medtronic announced it received expanded MRI labeling for its DBS systems, which is critical, given that almost 70% of all DBS-eligible patients will likely need an MRI at some point in their care, says Ashwini Sharan, CMO for Medtronic Neuromodulation.

Podcast: Lung Life AI CEO Shares Regulatory And Reimbursement Journey For Lung Cancer Diagnostic

 
• By Natasha Barrow

In this episode, Medtech Insight reporter Natasha Barrow speaks to LungLife AI CEO Paul Pagano. Lung Life AI is a US-based AIM-listed medical technology company that has developed a liquid biopsy test for the early detection of lung cancer called Lung LB. Pagano runs through the highlights of Lung Life AI journey to date and its future ambition for a strategic partnership. He also provides advice to similar diagnostic companies seeking reimbursement andcompliance with the US FDA Lab Developed Test ruling.

More from Medtech Insight

EU Finalizes Framework For Joint Clinical Assessments Of High-Risk Devices

 
• By Amanda Maxwell

Second submission window for joint scientific consultations on a procedure to help prepare for joint clinical assessments will open from 2 to 30 June 2025.

Get Ready For International Harmonization Before Approaching QMSR Deadline, Says Regulatory Expert

 
• By Brian Bossetta

During MD&M East last week, regulatory consultant Darren Reeves reminded device manufacturers that the time to get ready to comply with the new Quality Management System Regulation is now.

Handheld Diagnostics: A Resurging Category That is Here to Stay

 
• By Barnaby Pickering

Handheld diagnostics are more powerful, accessible and clinically relevant than ever. Medtech Insight spoke to companies behind such technologies to learn how they work and discuss their commercial models.