> Medical device companies fear that the 2.3 percent excise tax imposed as part of healthcare reform will lead to job cuts. Report
> Regenerative medicine company Organovo has made a prototype machine that can "print" new arteries by assembling living tissue. And they say that the same approach will one day allow doctors to print new organs for patients in need of a transplant. News
> Amgen executive Alan Raffensperger has been appointed the new CEO of BeneChill, a privately held medical device company launching its first product, a novel cooling device for use by emergency response teams in the field, later this year in Europe. BeneChill release
> W. L. Gore & Associates has received approval from the FDA to market a 45-mm diameter version of the GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis for treatment of aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta. The larger diameter device allows treatment of TAAs with proximal and distal neck diameters ranging from 37 - 42 mm and is now available for commercial use in the U.S. Release
> Derma Sciences's ALGICELL Ag wound dressings have received a CE mark for use in the European Union. SGS Group, the world's largest Control and Inspection Company, supervised the assessment and certification process. Cerma release
> Kinetic Concepts says it is the first manufacturer to commit to submitting labeling for its products used in the home to the FDA as part of the agency's medical device Home Use Initiative. KCI will voluntarily submit labeling for its products cleared by FDA for home use for inclusion in the home use device labeling repository on the FDA's website. Release
> The FDA has cleared a new diagnostic test to monitor ovarian cancer, a disease that will strike an estimated one out of every 71 women in the United States in their lifetimes. Abbott's new ARCHITECT HE4 (human epididymis protein 4) assay, the first automated test of its kind available in the United States, uses a simple blood test to aid in monitoring for the recurrence or progression of this disease. Abbott release
> Apnex Medical, a pioneer in developing novel medical device treatments for obstructive sleep apnea, also known as OSA, has announced the appointment of Charles (Chas) S. McKhann as president and CEO, effective immediately. Apnex release
And Finally... French researchers have tapped man's best friend to detect those at risk of developing prostate cancer, and it turns out that dogs might do a better job than a much-maligned blood test devised by modern medicine. Report