Philip Morris takes control of Vectura amid pushback against acquisition

The tobacco giant has secured investor buy-in despite continued opposition from clinicians and reports that employees of inhaled medicine specialist Vectura are concerned about the change in ownership.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Sept. 17, 2021

Hillrom VP of connected care talks Baxter's $10.5B buy, digital health

The deal, medtech's largest of 2021, is driven by Hillrom's digital health presence. Trey Lauderdale, Hillrom vice president and general manager of care communications, says the Baxter acquisition is validation of their strategy.

By Greg Slabodkin • Sept. 16, 2021

Hong Kong-based Prenetics to go public in US as part of $1.25B SPAC merger

Prenetics, which is set to pocket $459 million through the deal, will use the money to step up its attack on markets targeted by companies including 23andMe, Exact Sciences and Invitae.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Sept. 16, 2021

Baxter's $10.5B Hillrom buy on track, deal to close by early 2022: CEO

Baxter CEO Joe Almeida said the standard U.S. antitrust waiting period expired with no second FTC information request. Other global regulatory hurdles remain and shareholders are set to vote on the deal on Dec. 2.

By Greg Slabodkin • Updated Oct. 28, 2021

Baxter in late-stage talks to buy Hillrom for about $10B: WSJ

A Baird analyst said he talked himself into backing a union given Hillrom's connected care push. However, J.P. Morgan analysts argued Baxter has a "tall order" convincing investors it's a "more strategic vs. financial" acquisition.

By Greg Slabodkin • Aug. 30, 2021

SPAC slashes value of LumiraDx merger by $2B on falling COVID-19 testing forecast

LumiraDx recently halved its full-year sales guidance after being buffeted by the same forces rocking larger COVID-19 test providers such as Abbott and Quidel.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Aug. 23, 2021

EU launches probe of Illumina decision to close Grail deal despite ongoing investigation

If the European Commission finds that Illumina breached a "standstill obligation" rule as part of this latest probe, the company could be fined up to 10% of its revenue.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Updated Aug. 20, 2021

Memic inks SPAC merger, lining up $360M to challenge Intuitive for robotic surgery market

The company is betting the small size of its device and potential to enable more hysterectomies to be done vaginally as differentiators that will enable it to grow sales to $136 million in 2025.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Aug. 16, 2021

Philip Morris buys developer of inhaled heart attack drug, ramping up push into healthcare

News of the takeover comes weeks after the tobacco company bought an oral drug delivery specialist and entered into a bidding war to buy inhaled medicine player Vectura. Health charities have pushed back against Philip Morris' foray.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Aug. 10, 2021

Medtronic to buy Intersect ENT in $1.1B deal targeting chronic rhinosinusitis market

Intersect ENT's implants, which deliver steroids to open sinus passageways, could position Medtronic to sell products for a condition affecting 35 million U.S. adults. 

By Greg Slabodkin • Aug. 6, 2021

FTC warns it may challenge deals later as it's hit by 'tidal wave' of merger filings

"Companies that choose to proceed with transactions that have not been fully investigated are doing so at their own risk," the regulator said.

By Samantha Liss • Aug. 5, 2021

Hillrom reverses course, will finalize $375M BardyDx acquisition

The decision ends a months-long fight by Hillrom to back out of the buy due to substantially reduced Medicare rate cuts for long-term cardiac monitoring. Hillrom expects the deal to close in the coming weeks.

By Ricky Zipp • Aug. 2, 2021

Talk of Baxter-Hillrom tie-up grows as both companies focus on connected care

Hillrom CEO John Groetelaars in a Friday earnings call highlighted the growing importance of connected care, the focus area of Baxter's current M&A strategy. A Baird analyst said it sounded like a non-specific defense of a deal.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Updated July 30, 2021

Illumina-Grail merger subject of in-depth EU antitrust probe

European officials opened a three-month investigation of the deal, valued up to $8 billion, due to concerns it may reduce competition in the emerging liquid biopsy market. Illumina vowed to press on.

By Nick Paul Taylor • July 23, 2021

PacBio inks $800M Omniome buyout to expand into short-read sequencing

The acquisition will give Pacific Biosciences access to early-stage cancer screening and recurrence monitoring markets. The bid comes 18 months after Illumina scrapped plans to acquire PacBio amid regulatory pushback.

By Nick Paul Taylor • July 21, 2021

Medtech M&A expected to be robust in second half after 2021 began with a flurry

Even after deals already eclipsed last year's numbers, analysts predict robust activity in particular among diagnostics companies flush with cash from 2020's COVID-19 test sales.

By Ricky Zipp • July 18, 2021

Hillrom ordered to complete BardyDx transaction by Delaware court

The court found recent Medicare rate cuts for long-term cardiac wearables did not qualify as a material adverse event, siding with Bardy Diagnostics. However, the judge did not grant BardyDx compensatory damages.

By Ricky Zipp • July 12, 2021

Biden order takes aim at high cost of hearing aids, calls for OTC sales

The executive order issued Friday directs HHS to consider issuing proposed rules within 120 days for allowing hearing aids to be sold over the counter. 

By Samantha Liss • Updated July 12, 2021

Digital health funding in 2021 smashes last year's record with $14.7B

Coronavirus-spurred momentum in the sector has only accelerated, according to a new Rock Health report.

By Rebecca Pifer • July 7, 2021

Boston Scientific spends $295M to snap up rest of cardiac ablation maker Farapulse

The deal adds to the medtech's electrophysiology portfolio in an increasingly competitive space that includes Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson.

By Ricky Zipp • June 24, 2021

Pear secures $400M to scale up digital therapeutic business in SPAC deal

The developer of the first three FDA-authorized prescription digital therapeutics has ambitions to grow sales from a projected $4 million this year to $125 million in 2023.

By Nick Paul Taylor • June 23, 2021

Roundup: Medtronic's HVAD recall problems continue following patient injuries, deaths

One year after Medtronic pulled the heart pump off the market, there have been two Class I recalls following reports of patient injuries and deaths. Here is a collection of MedTech Dive's coverage of the HVAD saga.

Updated June 27, 2022

Humana acquires Onehome to pursue value-based home health strategy

The deal for Miramar, Florida-based Onehome follows the insurer's recent purchase of home health giant Kindred at Home for $5.7 billion.

By Rebecca Pifer • June 15, 2021

Health data giants Ciox, Datavant merge in $7B deal

Real-world health data company Datavant and health record IT firm Ciox Health say combining forces will result in the largest health data ecosystem in the U.S. The merger is supported by investors including J&J and LabCorp.

By Rebecca Pifer • June 10, 2021

Medtronic's HeartWare HVAD ending brings questions about $1B acquisition

Nearly five years after Medtronic's buy of HeartWare International, the medtech giant pulled the flagship product of the deal due to safety risks, ceding the market to rival Abbott.

By Ricky Zipp • June 8, 2021