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Qosina adds new tube-to-tube barb connectors

Quosina’s tube-to-tube barb connectors [Image courtesy of Quosina]

Qosina has added 25 new tube-to-tube barb connectors to its portfolio, the OEM single-use component supplier for the medical and pharmaceutical industries said this week.

Ronkonkoma, New York-based Qosina said its inventory of tube-to-tube barb connectors is available in more than 500 configurations.

The connectors can fit inner tube diameters between 1/32 in and 1 inch, the company said in a news release.

Styles include reducing and non-reducing, Y, cross, elbow, T, straight and barbs with luer connectors, while materials include Kynar, PP and PC.

Abbott imaging catheter recall flagged as Class I by FDA

Abbott’s Dragonfly OpStar Imaging Catheter [Photo courtesy of Abbott]

The FDA has identified the Abbott (NYSE:ABT) recall of its Dragonfly OpStar Imaging Catheter as a Class I recall.

That’s the most serious level of a medical device recall, carrying the risk of serious injury or death. Five incidents, one injury and zero deaths were reported when Abbott initiated the recall on April 11.

The recall affects 4,800 devices in the U.S. from certain lots. Abbott is asking health care providers to stop using the devices.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Tubing & Extrusion.

Abbott imaging catheter recall flagged as Class I by FDA

Abbott’s Dragonfly OpStar Imaging Catheter [Photo courtesy of Abbott]The FDA has identified the Abbott (NYSE:ABT) recall of its Dragonfly OpStar Imaging Catheter as a Class I recall.

That’s the most serious level of a medical device recall, carrying the risk of serious injury or death. Five incidents, one injury and zero deaths were reported when Abbott initiated the recall on April 11.

The recall affects 4,800 devices in the U.S. from certain lots. Abbott is asking health care providers to stop using the devices.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Tubing & Extrusion.

Will Johnson & Johnson buy Boston Scientific?

Needham & Co. analyst Mike Matson today upgraded his rating of Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) shares to Buy, partly because he thinks it’s an acquisition target for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ).

Said Matson: “If JNJ decides to acquire a large medtech company, we believe that BSX could be a good fit.”

BSX shares were up more than 2% to $41.19 apiece by midday trading today, while JNJ shares were down slightly. MassDevice‘s MedTech 100 Index, which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies, was up slightly.

Boston Scientific spokesperson Kate Haranis said the company doesn’t comment on speculation and rumors. A J&J spokesperson couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Johnson & Johnson remains on track to spin off its consumer health business in 2023, fueling conjecture that it may want to buy a medical device company to make the size of its MedTech business more on par in revenue…

Needham & Co. downgrades Medtronic, Zimmer Biomet shares

[Image from Unsplash]Needham & Co. senior research analyst Mike Matson today downgraded his rating of Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) and Zimmer Biomet (NYSE: ZBH) shares to Hold, while Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) got an upgrade to Buy.

MDT shares were down more than 1% to $97.98 apiece in morning trading, a day after Q4 earnings that missed The Street sent the medtech giant’s stock down more than 5%. ZBH shares were down slightly at $119.87 apiece, while BSX shares were up more than 2% at $41.15 apiece. MassDevice‘s MedTech 100 Index, which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies, was up more than 1%.

When it came to Medtronic, Matson said: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

“MDT seems to have returned to its old pattern of poor execution and inconsistent results, and this is its third strike in our view, with the first being pipeline challenges (RDN and robotics) and the second bei…

DoMore Diagnostics wins CE mark for AI algorithm that predicts colorectal cancer outcomes

DoMore Diagnostics announced that it received CE mark approval in Europe for its Histotype Px Colorectal deep learning algorithm.

Oslo, Norway-based DoMore designed its Histotype Px Colorectal deep learning algorithm to predict colorectal cancer patient outcomes based on analysis of digital histology images.

The company said in a news release that the algorithm, which builds on research led by the Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics at Oslo University Hospital, represents the first CE-marked product to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to predict patient outcomes based on advanced image analysis.

Analysis with the Histotype Px Colorectal deep learning algorithm is conducted on high-resolution scans from standard H&E stained slides to provide shorter turnaround times, DoMore Diagnostics said.

Results from an early version of the algorithm were published in The Lancet, while the company has spent the last year applying improvements …

Quidel, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics combine to form in vitro diagnostics company

Quidel (Nasdaq:QDEL) announced today that it completed its $6 billion acquisition of Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (Nasdaq:OCDX).

In December 2021, San Diego-based Quidel and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics came to an agreement under which the former would acquire the latter for $24.68 per share of common stock, using a combination of cash and newly issued shares in the combined company, representing a 25% premium on Ortho’s closing price on Dec. 22, 2021, and an equity value of about $6 billion.

Under the terms, former Ortho shareholders received $7.14 in cash and 0.1055 shares of QuidelOrtho common stock for each Ortho common share. Former Quidel stockholders received one share of QuidelOrtho common stock for each share of Quidel common stock, according to a news release.

Under the terms of the agreement governing the transaction, former Ortho shareholders received $7.14 in cash and 0.1055 shares of QuidelOrtho common stock for each Ortho common share. Former …

Zimmer Biomet adds ESG and CEO visibility to executive’s duties

Zimmer Biomet Chief Communications and Administration Officer Keri Mattox [Photo courtesy of Zimmer Biomet]Zimmer Biomet (NYSE:ZBH) today announced additional responsibilities for Investor Relations SVP and Chief Communications Officer Keri Mattox.

Mattox’s new title at the Warsaw, Indiana-based orthopedics company is chief communications and administration officer.

She will be responsible for “building and executing a comprehensive strategy around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives and increasing CEO visibility, engagement and accessibility,” the company said in a news release.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

Zimmer Biomet adds ESG and CEO visibility to executive’s duties

Zimmer Biomet Chief Communications and Administration Officer Keri Mattox [Photo courtesy of Zimmer Biomet]

Zimmer Biomet (NYSE:ZBH) today announced additional responsibilities for Investor Relations SVP and Chief Communications Officer Keri Mattox.

Mattox’s new title at the Warsaw, Indiana-based orthopedics company is chief communications and administration officer. She will be responsible for “building and executing a comprehensive strategy around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives and increasing CEO visibility, engagement and accessibility,” the company said in a news release.

Mattox will report to Chair, President and CEO Bryan Hanson, who said the new ESG function is essential “as we continue to focus on delivering on our mission to alleviate pain and improve the quality of life for people around the world.”

“Since joining Zimmer Biomet …

U of Maryland scientist to set up NIH’s new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it formed a new research project agency for health.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the formal establishment of the Advanced Research Project Agency for Health (ARPA-H) as an independent entity within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Adam H. Russell was appointed as acting deputy director, effective next month.

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Discovery & Development.

U of Maryland scientist to set up NIH’s new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it formed a new research project agency for health.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the formal establishment of the Advanced Research Project Agency for Health (ARPA-H) as an independent entity within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Adam H. Russell was appointed as acting deputy director, effective next month.

Russell currently serves as chief scientist at the University of Maryland’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS). He previously spent more than 10 years as a program manager, first at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) and then at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

At Darpa, Russell focused on new experimental platforms and tools to facilitate discovery, quantification and “big validation” of fundamental measures in social science, behavioral science and human performance, accordin…