Top Device Companies

Kimberly-Clark Among Makers Facing Slew Of Patent-Claim Suits

Kimberly-Clark Health Care and other device makers and pharmaceutical companies have become targets of “a cottage industry” of suers predicted by an appeals court. Kimberly-Clark, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble and other companies in the health-care products business already face dozens of lawsuits over continued use of expired patents on their labels. The U.S. Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit ruled last December that companies could be sued for falsely representing their products as protected by patents after those patents have expired. In its ruling, the court acknowledged a flood of lawsuits was likely to follow. (Click here for more)

“Pfizer, P&G Sued As Part Of New ‘Cottage Industry’” – Bloomberg (2/26/10)

Medical device manufacturers facing many challenges: from the rising clout of group purchasing organizations (GPOs) to payment bundling and physicians' growing allegiance with hospitals in product price negotiations. Get all the answers now in new Medtech Insight's new 24-page Special Report: Medical Device Landscape: How regulatory changes and cost control measures are reshaping the industry. Available for purchase now!

Abbott, Boston Sci Lose Bid To Try Cordis, Wyeth Stent Suit In Minnesota

Abbott Laboratories and Boston Scientific lost a bid to have a patent-infringement suit filed by Cordis and Pfizer’s Wyeth tried in a Minnesota federal court. Cordis and Wyeth won their move to have the trial moved to New Jersey where Cordis is headquartered. Cordis, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, and Wyeth sued Abbott, alleging its Xience V stent infringed on the Cordis Cypher stent that had just received a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent. Boston Scientific also was named in the suit because it markets the Abbott stent as Xience V under its Promus private label. (Click here for more)

“Cordis And Wyeth Win Transfer Of Stent Dispute With Boston Scientific and Abbott” – Mass Device (1/20/10)

Hot Off the Presses: Medical Device Market 2009: Interventional Cardiology - This 86-page Special Report from IN VIVO identifies the most important trends in cardiology devices in recent years, teases out the critical decisions that drove those developments, and takes you behind the scenes and into the minds of the architects of these new technologies and business strategies. Find out more...

Boehringer Ingelheim Inhaler Cleared By FDA Safety Review

Boehringer Ingelheim’s Spiriva HandiHaler has been cleared by FDA safety reviewers who determined it did not add to the risk of stroke or other heart problems. Pfizer co-markets the device with Boehringer, and the firms together saw $3 billion in global sales in 2008, the year the review began. FDA ordered the review after clinical studies suggested an association with higher stroke risk when used as intended, to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (Click here for more – a subscription may be required)

“FDA Finds No Increased Stroke Risk With Spiriva” – Wall Street Journal (1/14/10)

Hot Off the Presses: Medical Device Market 2009: Interventional Cardiology - This 86-page Special Report from IN VIVO identifies the most important trends in cardiology devices in recent years, teases out the critical decisions that drove those developments, and takes you behind the scenes and into the minds of the architects of these new technologies and business strategies. Find out more...

In HCV, Protease Race Heats Up with Combo Therapy Looming

Article preview from IN VIVO - May 2009

Two Phase III hepatitis C protease inhibitors from Vertex and Schering are set to reshape treatment for a difficult disease and potentially capture a significant chunk of a large and growing market. But other new therapies and combination regimens aren't far behind.

Corporate Venture Takes Center Stage

Article preview from Start-Up - May 2009

Corporate venture groups are poised to become one of the main sources of funding for early-stage biotechs thanks to the current economic climate. Even if corporate venture groups invest at the same levels as previous years, some industry veterans believe they could play a role in up to half of the early-stage financings this year, largely because the traditional sources of financing--the public market and venture capital groups flush with cash--have disappeared. And the new vigor of corporate venture offers big benefits to both small biotechs and Big Pharma.

The GSK/Pfizer HIV Venture: Another Sign of Change?

Article preview from IN VIVO - April 2009

Pfizer and GSK inked an innovative deal to create a jointly owned company focused on HIV therapeutics. The marriage combines GSK's marketing muscle and a stable of established products with Pfizer's newer offerings. While it's unlikely the new venture will unseat rival Gilead as the top player in the HIV market, the deal could be a cash cow for both drug makers, especially if a spin-out ensues.

Building Bone: Next-Generation Osteoporosis Therapies

Article preview from Start-Up - April 2009

As Amgen gears up to launch osteoporosis candidate denosumab, a host of smaller players are working on what they see as the next-generation therapies: those that help build up new bone. Tough economic times across the board, plus the high development risks and costs associated with osteoporosis--a chronic, primary care condition--are making financing almost impossible for some.

Deals Shaping the Medical Industry (03/2009)

Article preview from IN VIVO - March 2009

The dealmaking column is a survey of recent transactions, including strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions, and financings, in the life sciences industries. Deals are listed by the following industry sectors: in vitro diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and research/analytical instrumentation and reagents. All transactions are excerpted from Windhover's Strategic Transactions Database, providing comprehensive transaction coverage from 1991 to the present.

The Cost-Sharing Solution: The New NICE Ticket

Article preview from IN VIVO - March 2009

J&J's Velcade and Celgene's Revlimid illustrate how pharma has adapted to the NICE UK cost-effectiveness watchdog. Now that the UK precedents exist, there will be more to come. But are they really pharma's ticket to increased access, and do they assure the value to the health care system that they claim? This article originally appeared in February 2009's RPM Report.

Deals in Depth: January 2009

Article preview from IN VIVO - March 2009

January 2009 dealmaking highlights: Big Pharma consolidation is back in the news as one of the largest mega-mergers in history took place in January with Pfizer's acquisition of Wyeth for $67bn. Abbott topped the list on the device side, leaping into the vision care field with its $2.8bn purchase of Advanced Medical Optics. Meanwhile financing--mainly from private placements--for both the drug and device industries was up from the previous month, and notably pharma showed a 4x increase in private investor funding.