Connectivity, one of the newest buzzwords in the medical device lexicon, is becoming more and more integral to device design and development. Research shows that connected health devices can improve patient outcomes by increasing adherence and reducing dosing variability. Mark David Tuckwell, head of electronics, software & systems at Sagentia, says connected device can also provide crucial information to help […]
Wall Street Beat
Catalent acquires soft-gel manufacturer Accucaps
Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) said today that it closed its acquisition of Canada-based Accucaps and its pharmaceutical soft-gel manufacturing capabilities. The Somerset, N.J.-based company did not disclose the deal’s financial details. In November last year, Catalent said that it planned to fund the Accucaps buy with a $400 million debt offering. The company also plans to use the private placement […]
Biostage prices $8m offering for bioengineered organ implant
Biostage (NSDQ:BSTG), a 27-person biotech based in Holliston, Mass., is developing technology to regrow esophageal tissue in patients that have esophageal cancer or atresia. Last week, the company priced a public offering at ¢40 per share of common stock, expecting to bring in $8 million from the round. The current standard of care for resectable […]
Pfizer appeals $107m fine for anti-epilepsy drug prices in UK
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Flynn Pharma have appealed the record $107 million (£84.2 million) and $6.5 million (£5.2 million) fines imposed by the U.K. Competition & Markets Authority in December for the companies’ massive price hikes to their unbranded versions of anti-epilepsy drug Epanutin. In its appeal, Pfizer claims that the regulator did not consider market realities when […]
PharmaJet expands needle-free delivery of influenza vaccines
PharmaJet said today that a trivalent and quadrivalent influenza vaccine is available with its Stratis needle-free injector for this year’s flu season. PharmaJet’s device is designed to administer medication intramuscularly or subcutaneously, without the use of needles. The Chicago-based company touts the technology as a way to prevent cross-contamination between needles and enhance patient compliance. “The addition […]
ICU Medical touts dosing errors study
ICU Medical (NSDQ:ICUI) said today that a multi-hospital study showed improvements in potentially catastrophic dosing errors and drug library compliance when its Plum infusion pumps and Hospira (NYSE:HSP) MedNet safety software were integrated with the hospitals’ electronic medical records. The rate of potentially catastrophic dosing errors fell by 52% after smart-pump EMR integration, the study found, […]
Early collaboration is key in drug-device development, experts say
While pharmaceutical companies and medical device firms know that working together is a vital part of doing business, they “live in 2 different world in many ways,” Minnetronix co-founder Dirk Smith said last week at the annual Drug Delivery Partnerships conference. From development timelines to regulatory approval pathways, it can sometimes seem like pharma and medtech companies are […]
B. Braun, Iatric Systems integrate Outlook infusion pump, Accelero Connect software
B. Braun Medical said today that it integrated its Outlook large-volume infusion pump with Iatric Systems‘ Accelero Connect integration software. The technology enables the pump to communicate with electronic health record systems, such as Meditech. Bethlehem, Pa.-based B. Braun said it used Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise standard communication protocols and transactions to support the integration. […]
Valeant, Ackman agree to split costs in shareholders class action
Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:VRX, TSE:VRX) and William Ackman’s hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management reportedly agreed to split litigation costs in a class action lawsuit brought on by shareholders over an alleged insider trading scheme in Allergan (NYSE:AGN)’s 2014 takeover bid. In June 2014, Valeant offered a tender bid for Allergan, which was followed by a 7 […]
Titan Pharmaceutical’s match-sized implant fights back against opioid addiction
The ongoing opioid crisis in the U.S. is harrowing – 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Companies are searching for innovative ways to deliver opioid maintenance treatment to patients that are hoping to get clean. Buprenorphine is a compound used for medication-assisted treatment, traditionally administered […]
