Diagnostics

Agent drug coated balloon, Watchman product sales, and electrophysiology (EP) business unit growth offset Acurate discontinuation and tariff headwinds. CEO Michael Mahoney shouted out coronary therapies business and answered questions on CMS proposed Ambulatory Surgical Center codes.

The Cancer Research Horizons Innovation Awards took place on July 10. Medtech Insight spoke to nominees for the women’s entrepreneur of the year award: Mireia Crispin-Ortuzar, CEO of 52 North Health; Anita Grigoriadis, CEO of PharosAI; and Maria Giovanna Lizio, Founder of WILD-Imaging Technology.

AI heart imaging company HeartFlow filed for a $100m IPO after scrapping its 2022 SPAC plans. It remains unprofitable but is betting on FDA clearances, Medicare coverage and a demand for AI-powered diagnostics to win over investors.

Despite headwinds, executives remain optimistic about growth in Abbott’s medical devices and diabetes divisions and plan several product rollouts, including the Volt PFA catheter for electrophysiology and the dual glucose-ketone sensor CGM.

A deep-learning AI-based retinal image scanning tool can predict the risk of cardiovascular events over a 10-year period with 70% accuracy. The test is comparable to routine GP health checks, researchers from the University of Dundee have shown.

A recent FDA warning letter claims a Boston firm that specializes in wearable technology marketed a blood pressure device without agency approval. The company rejects the assertion and says the agency is out of step with federal law.

Waters Corp. will acquire Becton Dickinson’s Biosciences and Diagnostics business for $17.5bn, doubling its TAM to $40B. Analysts praise the flow cytometry addition but see weaker growth in diagnostics.

Thena Capital, the first UK-based early-stage specialist medtech firm, has made its first investment since closing its £50m fund. Medtech Insight spoke with general partner Pamela Walker Geddes to gain insight into Thena Capital’s investment strategy.

The Milner Institute, the on-campus hub for start-up acceleration at Cambridge University, hosted its annual Pitch Day on July 1. Start-ups Panakeia, PathwayBio and Sentinal4D presented diagnostic technologies.

Broad participation by EU member states in a new pilot to test a unified procedure for evaluating applications for combined drug and IVD studies shows they recognize its value, says Monique Al, vice-chair of the Clinical Trials Coordination Group.

Former HHS-OIG attorney Rob DeConti emphasized the significance of data analytics and compliance in combating healthcare fraud, urging medical tech companies to adopt robust measures to prevent potential risks.

“The Corsano wearable strengthens Medtronic’s acute care and monitoring portfolio,” Marc De Martini, vice president at Medtronic, told Medtech Insight.

Medtronic, Tandem and Beta Bionics are gearing up to bring tubeless patch pumps to market, chasing Insulet’s Omnipod 5, the only FDA-cleared patch pump for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Analysts expect tubeless models to eventually displace durable pumps.

Leaders of robotic systems companies Distalmotion, Neocis and Noah Medical discussed success metrics, competition and funding. Institutional investors are focusing on utilization, procedure rates and a clear path to profitability as the IPO window reopens, BTIG analyst Ryan Zimmerman said.

Dxcover sets up new Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) lab in Franklin, Tennessee.

Fallouh Healthcare has received £305,050 in grant funding from Innovate UK as part of the European Union’s Eureka Eurostars program. The company aims to detect cardiac tamponade, a condition that affects patients after heart surgery. Currently, there is no way to accurately diagnose the condition.

The US FDA has announced classifications for five device types, including four diagnostics as well as a hand cream to protect healthcare workers exposed to radiation. Two of the products are newborn screening tests.

NHS England will offer at-home cervical cancer self-testing kits to people who are overdue for routine screening by six months. The Department of Health and Social Care identified four HPV collection and testing combinations with highest accuracy.

Ahead of the ADA conference, Abbott announced Tandem as the fourth partner to integrate Abbott’s dual glucose-ketone sensor with automated insulin delivery. Expanded Medicare CGM coverage, FDA label expansions and new ADA guidelines position Abbott to grow its CGM footprint in a competitive market.

Faction Imaging has come out of stealth mode following six years of research and development studying medical imaging workflows in India, Japan and the US.