In an expansion that will surely have other companies wondering why they didn’t move on the opportunity first, Icad Inc. partnered with Solis Mammography to identify cardiovascular risk based on incidental information commonly found in mammograms—and generally ignored.
Orthofix Medical Inc. and Seaspine Holdings Corp. signed a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of (near) equals. Following the close, Orthofix shareholders will own approximately 56.5% of the company and Seaspine shareholders will own approximately 43.5%. The new company’s name will be announced prior to the transaction’s anticipated first quarter of 2023 closing.
Getinge AB reported a partnership with Medtronic plc for the Radiant stent, the first covered stent indicated for chimney endovascular aneurysm repair (ChEVAR). This new balloon-expandable stent graft for renal arteries obtained CE mark approval on Sept. 20.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd. have launched Radiopharm Ventures LLC, a joint venture (JV) that will develop radiopharmaceutical therapies for cancer. Radiopharm Theranostics owns 51% of shares in the new entity, while MD Anderson owns 49%.
An administrative law judge has decreed that the acquisition of Grail Inc., by Illumina Inc., would not represent a suppression of competition in the market for multicancer early detection (MCED) tests, clearing a way for an acquisition that was initially valued at more than $7 billion.
Second Sight Medical Products Inc. completed a reverse merger with Nano Precision Medical Inc. which leaves the controversial visual prosthetics company holding 23% of the new company, now called Vivani Medical Inc. The deal brings together two unlikely partners, with Nano Precision targeting development of miniaturized, subdermal drug implants for chronic diseases such as diabetes, while Second Sight has focused on bringing its Orion visual prosthetic device to market. The company now trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol VANI.
Teleflex Inc. is going big on its investment in the business of helping people reduce their size with an agreement to acquire Standard Bariatrics Inc. for an upfront cash payment of $170 million with contingent payments of $130 million upon achievement of specified commercial milestones. The companies expect to close the transaction early in the fourth quarter of 2022. Standard Bariatrics produces a novel clamp and staple system for gastric sleeve surgery, the Titan sleeve gastrectomy stapler (SGS).
Precision Diabetes Inc. (PDI) entered an exclusive agreement with Dxgen Corp. to introduce and distribute the Epithod Autodx point-of-care analyzer and multiple diabetes tests that run on the system within the U.S. The first available tests will include hemoglobin A1c, C-reactive protein and albumin, with the portfolio of tests expected to grow quickly.