Medtech Insight - News And Expert Analysis For Medtech Decision Makers since 1975

With new regulations limiting the use of plastics popping up worldwide, the medtech industry sees arguments on both sides. Some argue hasty bans of PFAS ("forever chemicals") would harm patients, while others say phthalates should be phased out to protect the public.

Commissioner Martin Makary told staff that plans are being developed to centralize HR, IT, travel and other functions, which were heavily impacted by the 1 April reduction-in-force.

Preparations for the reauthorization of the Medical Device User Fee Amendments for 2028-2032 are underway, with the US FDA announcing a public meeting for 4 August. After negotiations with industry and other stakeholders, a draft agreement is due to Congress by 15 January 2025.

Market access concerns dominated at the annual BioWales In London event, where AstraZeneca set out industry’s priorities and the UK Office for Life Sciences struck an optimistic tone about how the UK will lastingly improve uptake of innovation.

European venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners’ portfolio companies BioCorteX, Bioptimus, Cure51 and Latent Labs will benefit from the investor’s new partnership with tech giant NVIDIA.

Increased support for NHS services and delivery infrastructure announced in the 11 June government spending review by chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves could boost inward investment and offer new market opportunities for medtechs.

J&J's EMEA head of digital solutions, Julia Fishman, talks about the major hurdles in scaling digital innovation, tips for clinical adoption and what’s up next on J&J’s innovation road map. Robot-assisted surgery pioneer Ivo Broeders gives his perspective on the difficulties in clinical adoption.

Cardiosense has launched a nationwide clinical study, SEISMIC-HF II, to validate its non-invasive, AI-powered technology for monitoring heart failure. The data will be used to file for US regulatory clearance of the Cardiosense heart failure monitoring platform.

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.

During a recent FDLI panel, experts discussed the FDA's Home Healthcare initiative, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges. Key issues include usability testing, reimbursement, labeling for home use, and the need for innovation while ensuring patient safety.

Guardant Health’s methylation-based blood test – Shield MCD – showed a specificity of 98.6% and sensitivity of 75% across eight cancer types in its clinical validation data presented at ASCO.

SAGA Diagnostics has launched its breast cancer residual and recurrence detection test – Pathlight – in the US. The test’s ultrahigh sensitivity and specificity is rare to see in oncology, the company claimed.