Jomed Goes Public, At Last

Two years ago, Jomed NV, one of the most promising of the small cardiovascular device companies, saw itself following in the footsteps of then-rising star, Arterial Vascular Engineering Inc. By the time Jomed was planning its IPO in the middle of last year, the market for medical device IPOs had cooled substantially from its peak three years earlier, as wary investors all but turned their backs on new device plays. That Jomed finally did go public last month and its stock has continued to do well, albeit over a short period of time, speaks to both the promise of the company and, officials throughout the medical device industry hope, a new appetite for medical technology issues.