Medtronic plc has unveiled its latest buy this year with the planned acquisition of Avenu Medical Inc., which focuses on the endovascular creation of arteriovenous (AV) fistulae for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis. The two did not disclose the terms of the transaction.

Outset Medical Inc. closed its Nasdaq IPO Thursday with gross proceeds of approximately of $277.9 million. The IPO, which launched Tuesday, included nearly 10.3 million shares of common stock at $27 per share and the full exercise of underwriters’ option to purchase more than 1.3 million additional shares. Shares of the San Jose, Calif.-based company’s stock, which is trading under the ticker OM, soared to more than $60 on the first day of trading amid enthusiasm for its portable dialysis machine.

Portable dialysis machine manufacturer Outset Medical Inc. saw its shares soar after the opening of its Nasdaq IPO. The stock rose as high as $61.60 before closing at $60.68, finishing the day with a market cap of nearly $2.5 billion. Trading under the ticker symbol OM, the company priced 8.95 million of its shares at $27 apiece, upsizing its previously reported plans to offer 7.6 million shares between $22 and $24. The offering is set to close Sept. 17.

Baxter International Inc. has scored a win from the U.S. FDA, which has granted the de novo application for Theranova, the company’s novel dialysis membrane. For his part, Cowen’s Josh Jennings noted that de novo designations are rare in the dialysis space, echoing a company statement. “We think the de novo classification strengthens any argument for the uniqueness of the technology, which should help its commercial experience,” he added. “BAX had expected an FDA clearance in [second half of] '20, so this action falls on the early end of that range.”

Lausanne, Switzerland-based Debiotech SA and Neokidney BV, of Amsterdam, have created Nextkidney SA to lead the development and commercialization of Neokidney, a lightweight, plug-and-play, home hemodialysis device.

With the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelming hospitals and treatment centers, San Jose, Calif.-based Outset Medical Inc. scored a big win with U.S. FDA clearance of its Tablo hemodialysis system for home dialysis use. The company will begin rolling the system out for home patients in the coming months, balancing that program with demand for onsite devices to support an upswell in COVID-driven dialysis treatments.

San Francisco-based startup Cloudcath has raised a $12 million series A round to support commercialization of its first product that enables remote, real-time monitoring for at-home peritoneal dialysis patients. The expectation is that the notifications it offers to health care providers will enable earlier intervention to avoid complications, including infection. The Cloudcath system is pending U.S. FDA clearance.

Roseville, Calif.-based US Kidney Research Corp., formerly Curion Research Corp., has been working on its waterless renal replacement technology since its inception in June 2015. Its latest research efforts using its novel blood purifying technology have led to the production of the first ‘synthetic urine,’ which mimics the body’s natural production and the kidney’s filtration capability.

The U.S. FDA has given Medtronic plc a green light for its In.Pact AV drug-coated balloon, the second application for the Dublin-based company’s In.Pact DCB platform. The paclitaxel-coated balloon is now indicated for the treatment failing arteriovenous (AV) access in patients undergoing dialysis due to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In.Pact AV leverages technology from Medtronic’s In.Pact Admiral DCB, which first snagged FDA approval in 2015 for treatment of superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions above the knee.

San Clemente, Calif.-based ICU Medical Inc. has acquired Minneapolis-based Pursuit Vascular Inc. for $75 million and an additional, undisclosed earn-out payment that would be due in 2021. In the deal, it gains the Clearguard HD Antimicrobial Barrier Cap, which is the only U.S.-marketed device that's been shown to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections in hemodialysis patients.