Varian’s Halcyon and Ethos radiotherapy systems received two regulatory nods in short succession, with both U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance and CE marking. In addition, the company reported that the first patient in the world underwent treatment with a Halcyon system with Hypersight last week. Read More
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reported the withdrawal of three legacy enforcement policies related to health care, including a 1996 policy that allowed hospitals to share the cost of capital equipment such as MRI systems. The announcement would seem to jeopardize the ability of smaller hospitals and other health care clinical sites to share the cost of these and other examples of costly, high-end equipment, but the damage may not stop there, thanks to the elimination of policies regarding medical information sharing that could impede medical research. Read More
Eurosets Srl reported the first patient treatments using Colibri, which the company asserts is the world’s lightest extracorporeal life support (ECLS) system. This first clinical procedure was performed using an ECLS device weighing less than 9 kg in the ICU department at the Arnaud de Villeneuve University Hospital in Montpellier, France. Read More
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has sounded off again about the ability of other federal government agencies to respond to future crises and pandemics, arguing that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not forged a comprehensive assessment mechanism to account for the associated medical countermeasure production needs. However, GAO also remarked that HHS does not have a dedicated funding mechanism to finance these activities, a resource that might not become available until after HHS officials draft a budget for the activities associated with such efforts for congressional review. Read More
In preparing for their showdown before the U.S. Supreme Court March 27 on what it takes to enable broad genus claims, both Sanofi SA and Amgen Inc. are warning that future innovation will be at stake if the court accepts the other company’s position. Read More
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Clarimed, Harvey Medical, Isoray, Viewpoint Molecular Targeting. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Lumiradx, SPR Therapeutics. Read More