Hospital laboratory consolidation, underway for several years, is having mixed success as the market shifts. For suppliers, things are unlikely to settle down soon. Successful labs claim to be committed to a common vision and to swift action to institute painful changes. But other labs are stymied by politics, lack of top management support, and reluctance to make difficult decisions quickly. Manufacturers' expectations that consolidation would lead to standardization of equipment and a winner-take-all mentality are starting to come to pass. But the customer base continues to be in more flux than expected.

Medtech Insight spoke to attorney Greg Dadika about mass tort litigation, including industry trends, how to find the right law firm, and when it’s the right time to settle a suit. See what Dadika, an attorney at the law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, said about it here.

Payers would welcome any additional clarity provided by advisory panel review, given the perception, expressed in a recent ICER report, that the evidence is insufficient to determine whether the new drug is safer or more effective than erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.