> ExonHit Therapeutics has received CE marking approval for AclarusDx, its blood-based test intended to help in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. This gives AclarusDx the status of in vitro diagnostic. It is an essential step in the product life cycle. ExonHit release
> Sandvik Medical Solutions plans to reduce its work force in Shelby County by 55 employees, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Sandvik, a provider of medical device manufacturing services and materials for medical implants and instruments, is part of the Swedish Sandvik Group, a high-tech engineering group that employs roughly 47,000 individuals and conducts business in more than 130 countries. Story
> Accuray's nearly $300 million deal to buy TomoTherapy isn't closed yet, but the integration of the two companies is already under way. News
> A new non-surgical, tissue-preserving therapeutic procedure is being developed to more effectively remove HPV infection and treat precursors of cervical cancer. Cevira is a drug-device combination procedure which has been accepted for use in a Phase II clinical trial by the FDA. The trial will take place in multiple centers across the U.S. and Europe and is expected to start during the spring. Sagentia release
> Dentsply International has announced that Derek Leckow joins the company as VP, Investor Relations. Leckow brings to Dentsply a solid understanding of financial markets and drivers of shareholder value, particularly as it relates to the dental and medical device industries. Dentsply release
> Two Rhode Island companies that design and manufacture medical textiles have merged--a move that company officials say sets the stage for future expansion. Biomedical Structures of Warwick acquired the smaller Concordia Medical. The new company, with fewer than 50 employees, will operate under the Biomedical Structures name. Report
> An early-stage venture capital firm interested in promising life-science and agricultural technology investment is hanging out a shingle in downtown Kalamazoo. Item
> Vista-based DJO said March 15 that it has agreed to buy Wisconsin-based Rikco International for $254.6 million in cash. Rikco makes footwear for diabetics and sells it under the name Dr. Comfort. Article
> Hospira wooed its new CEO away from Allergan with compensation that will total $12.4 million in his first year. F. Michael Ball is succeeding Christopher Begley, who has run the company since 2004 and made $7.6 million in 2009, the most recent year for which compensation is available, according to a filing with the SEC by Hospira. Begley remains with the Lake Forest-based maker of medical devices and injectable drugs as executive chairman. News
And Finally... People with diabetes could be helped by a new type of self-monitoring blood glucose sensor being developed by ASU engineers and clinicians at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. The new sensor would enable people to draw tear fluid from their eyes to get a glucose-level test sample. Glucose in tear fluid may give an indication of glucose levels in the blood as accurately as a test using a blood sample, the researchers say. ASU release