Article preview from IN VIVO - April 2009
Few were surprised when an FDA advisory panel recommended against approving Stryker's OP-1 device for spinal fusion. Plus, given the recent focus on off-label use of orthobiologics, OP-1 was not likely to displace its only competitor, InFuse. That said, the off label issue may well influence the future of OP-1 as Stryker contemplates whether and how to retool clinical development.
Continue reading "A Last Gasp for Stryker with OP-1? Not Likely. " »
Article preview from Medtech Insight - February 2009
Few medical device industry executives would quarrel with the notion that Israel has been one, if not the leading, source of new device technology over the past decade or so. Anecdotally, some large US device companies now say that one-third to one-half of the new companies and devices they look at either come directly from Israel or originated there. Today, Israel ranks number-one in the world in patent applications for medical device technology and first in patents per capita. And the list of innovative devices that have come out of Israel covers all therapeutic areas and all technological fields—including some where Israeli companies seem to have a particular affinity or expertise, such as innovative imaging devices and robotics. So why are so many Israeli device executives, both company types and investors, so anxious these days?
Continue reading "Israel's Device Community: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead" »
Article preview from Medtech Insight - February 2009
With few new treatment options on the horizon for patients suffering from joint pain associated with hip and knee osteoarthritis, it should come as no surprise that the business of joint replacement is booming and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Even in the current economic environment where elective joint replacement procedures are likely to slow down, there has not (yet) been a significant impact on implant sales.The industry admits it is not immune to the global economic crisis, at least in the short term. However, over the long haul, the general consensus is that this market will remain strong owing to solid growth in the patient pool.
Continue reading "Obstacles Ahead for TJR Market" »
Article preview from IN VIVO - February 2009
A reprint of a feature in the February 2009 issue of Medtech Insight. With few new treatment options on the horizon for patients suffering from joint pain associated with hip and knee osteoarthritis, it should come as no surprise that the business of joint replacement is booming and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Even in the current economic environment where elective joint replacement procedures are likely to slow down, there has not (yet) been a significant impact on implant sales.The industry admits it is not immune to the global economic crisis, at least in the short term. However, over the long haul, the general consensus is that this market will remain strong owing to solid growth in the patient pool.
Continue reading "Challenges Ahead for TJR Market" »