Baxter, 3M, Abbott near the top of Newsweeks’ most reponsible companies list

Several medtech, healthcare and life sciences companies, including big names like Abbott (NYSE:ABT), 3M (NYSE:MMM) and Baxter (NYSE:BAX), are among the 500 “most responsible,” according to Newsweek.

The outlet published its “America’s Most Responsible Companies 2022” list, marking the third installment of the compilation (in partnership with Statista), this time expanded to include 500 of the largest public corporations around. Companies were judged with an overall score out of 100 that combined environmental, social and corporate governance performance assessments.

Baxter, 3M, Abbott and BD (NYSE:BDX) were among the highest-ranking big-name medical device makers. Cancer diagnostic company Illumina was the highest-ranking company under the healthcare and life sciences umbrella, sitting in second behind HP.

In sixth sat Baxter, registering an overall score of 89.5 points, with its highest performance coming in environmental i…

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Edwards touts trial results for Evoque transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement system

Edwards’ Evoque system. [Image from Edwards]Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) shared data from a clinical trial showing that its Evoque transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement offers favorable patient outcomes.

Irvine, California–based Edwards presented the data during the late-breaking clinical science session at the 33rd Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), according to a news release.

The study evaluated 132 patients (56 patients with six-month follow-up) treated with Evoque for symptomatic, moderate or greater functional or degenerative tricuspid regurgitation (TR), despite optimal medical therapy at six months. It demonstrated TR reduction by core laboratory assessment, with 100% of patients experiencing none/trace or mild TR in 43 patients with paired echocardiographic data available.

Evoque also significantly improved functional and quality of life outcomes, including 89% of patients in NYHA Class I or II, and a 27-point increase in …

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Sapien 3 TAVR offers improved outcomes, reduced cost, Edwards Lifesciences says

Edwards’ Sapien 3 transcatheter heart valve (Image from Edwards Lifesciences)

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) today touted a cost-effectiveness analysis that supports transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the Sapien 3.

Irvine, California -based Edwards presented data from the Partner 3 trial during the late-breaking clinical trials at the 33rd Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

According to a news release, the analysis comparing TAVR to surgery demonstrated that TAVR with Sapien 3 represents an economically dominant treatment strategy with improved outcomes and reduced cost. The analysis compared healthcare costs, life expectancy and quality-adjusted life for patients with severe aortic stenosis at low risk for surgery, who were treated with TAVR or surgery in the PARTNER 3 trial.

Partner 3 randomized 1,000 patients across 71 centers between March 2…

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Edwards Lifesciences stock slides on Q3 financial results

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) reported third-quarter financial results today that exceeded Wall Street’s expectations on profits but narrowly missed on sales.

The Irvine, California–based cardio device company reported earnings of $340.1 million (or 54¢ per share) off sales of $1.31 billion. That’s a 4.6% increase from Q3 2020’s earnings of $325.2 million (52¢ per share) off sales of $1.14 billion.

Edwards reported TAVR sales of $858 million, which were up 15 percent from the same three months a year ago. Edwards said transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) sales would have been higher if not for continued pressure on hospitals from COVID-19. The company said TAVR sales outside of the U.S. grew approximately 20 percent on a year-over-year basis.

“Although we experienced the encouraging signs of patient confidence and continued willingness to seek medical care in July, the Delta variant had a significant impact on hospital resources during the las…

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3 pitfalls to consider when creating catheter delivery systems

Edwards Lifesciences’ Sapien 3 Ultra TAVR [Image courtesy of Edwards Lifesciences]Multiple components go into a catheter delivery system, with several ways to combine them. An Edwards Lifesciences senior R&D director goes over potential pitfalls.

A catheter is a tube that can deliver devices or pharmaceuticals into the body. It is also commonly used for diagnostic purposes. A catheter has a hub or a handle on its end that can connect to a syringe or something that actuates a device.

There are a number of catheter delivery systems currently on the market that deploy devices such as heart pumps, balloons, stents and other clot-busting products.

The catheters need to be small enough to fit through the blood vessels and flexible enough to navigate the human body’s complex cardiovascular system.

Sean Chow, a senior director of R&D at Edwards Lifesciences, told Medical Design & Outsourcing about three pitfalls that creators of catheter-based de…

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MedTech 100 roundup: Industry climbs with earnings season in full swing

The medtech industry remains on the upswing as companies see their stocks rising with quarterly earnings providing a boost.

MassDevice‘s MedTech 100 Index — which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies — finished last week (July 30) at 118.86 points. Two weeks ago aside — when the index shot up to 145.88 points and quickly tumbled down — this mark would be the index’s all-time best.

The total at the end of last week represents a 2.9% rise from the 115.54-point tally posted by the index at the end of last week (July 23).

Medtech’s performance continues to reflect an overall rebound from the struggles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, too. The industry has registered a 28.7% increase from the pre-pandemic high of 92.32 (set on Feb. 19, 2020). Moreover, it remains well ahead of the mid-pandemic low of 62.13 (March 23, 2020) as well, totaling a 91.3% ascent above that point.

The industry’s performance had no cor…

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Edwards Lifesciences beats The Street in Q2, boosts guidance

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) reported second-quarter results this evening that beat the consensus forecast on Wall Street — and raised its 2021 guidance in the process.

The Irvine, Calif.–based cardio device company reported earnings of $489.5 million, or 78¢ per share, off sales of $1.376 billion – a turnaround from the loss of –$121.9 million, or –20¢ per share, off sales of $925 million that Edwards Lifesciences saw in Q2 2020.

Adjusted to exclude one-time items, earnings per share were 64¢, 9¢ ahead of The Street, where analysts were looking EPS of 55¢ on sales of $1.28 billion.

“We were encouraged by the clear signs of recovery during the second quarter,” Edwards Lifesciences CEO Michael A. Mussallem said in a news release.

“Vaccine adoption in key regions has contributed to an increased number of patients seeking and, most importantly, receiving treatment,” Mussallem said. “This quarter, we were pleased that …

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The 18 most innovative medical devices of 2021

[Images from BD, Edwards, Alcon and CVRx]The Galien Foundation today announced the nominees for most innovative medical devices for its 15th annual Prix Galien USA Awards.

The foundation nominates devices, biotechnology and pharmaceutical products for its annual Prix Galien awards to highlight products designed to improve the human condition.

“The Awards Committee is excited to introduce the nominees for the 2021 Prix Galien USA Awards. These products have been created by scientists who have dedicated their lives to discovering, developing and distributing life-saving answers for patients,” said Sue Desmond-Hellmann, chair of the Prix Galien USA and Prix Galien International Award committees and former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“We appreciate the opportunity to honor these researchers and their tireless efforts,” Desmond-Hellmann said in a news release.

Nominees need to be FDA-approved for the market within the last five years a…

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Edwards’ low-BP prediction software gains FDA clearance

(Image courtesy of Edwards Lifesciences)

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) has announced that its Acumen hypotension prediction index (HPI) software has received FDA 510(k) clearance.

Using data obtained from the Acumen IQ finger cuff, the software uses machine learning to alert clinicians of the likelihood a patient is trending toward hypotension, or low blood pressure. Until now, Acumen HPI software has only been available for patients using an invasive arterial line, according to Irvine, Calif.-based Edwards.

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

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Barclays is bullish on medtech

Barclays analysis projects that medtech might be on its way to a stretch of “outperformance” even in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to SeekingAlpha, the report cited eight reasons that make the investment bank bullish on the industry in the coming years, starting with what it calls “robust innovation.”

On top of the evolving innovation in medtech, Barclays expects the canceled procedures of 2020 (as a result of COVID-19) to return, while new technology could increase diagnoses.

Direct-to-consumer advertising, a potential return to “normality” in a post-pandemic scape, surveys indicating a resurgence in elective surgeries, healthy balance sheets and an aging population as a tailwind round out the reasons why Barclays expects success for medtech over the next several years.

Medtech companies that Barclays stands “overweight on” include Abbott (26.72% upside), Boston Scientific (18.55% ups…

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Outset Medical appoints Edwards Lifesciences exec Katie Szyman to board of directors

Outset Medical (NSDQ:OM) announced that it appointed Edwards Lifesciences executive Katie Szyman to its board of directors.

Szyman currently serves as corporate VP & GM of critical care at Edwards, having spent more than 30 years in leadership roles in the medtech space, according to a news release. Much of her experience came in 23 years at medtech giant Medtronic.

She held finance roles before becoming CFO of Medtronic’s coronary stent business, then working with mergers and acquisitions before moving into general management work. Her final role at Medtronic was president of its diabetes business.

“Katie’s impressive track record of ushering medical device companies through market expansion and high growth is ideally suited to Outset,” Outset Medical CEO Leslie Trigg said in the release. “Her commercial growth acumen both in the critical care and consumer diabetes space reflects our focus on transforming the dialysis experience for patients and pro…

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5 of the latest cardiac tech insights out of ACC.21

The American College of Cardiology’s 70th Annual Scientific Session has produced some positive news about some controversial cardiac tech.

Drug-coated stents, which a 2018 study linked to late-stage death, were shown to be non-inferior to non-drug-coated stents in patients with peripheral arterial disease. And a new study of renal denervation that used a different methodology showed significant progress in reducing high blood pressure.

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

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