The US Federal Trade Commission has finally approved Fresenius' $2bn acquisition of NxStage Medical. A complaint filed by the FTC in February 2019 claimed the deal would be anti-competitive.

Meaningful medtech advances that have the potential to revolutionize patient care cannot happen by eliminating risk entirely, but it’s a balance that European stakeholders are failing to achieve consistently. This is so in Germany too, says the BVMed industry association, with negative consequences for those at the sharp end of innovation – the SMEs and start-ups who originate a vast proportion of medtech advances.

Complications with inferior vena cava (IVC) filters and subsequent patient-injury lawsuits have made this a tricky space for medical technology innovators, but BTG has not been deterred. The UK company has entered the fray with a technology developed by Novate Medical, and as a bioconvertible product BTG believes it has key advantages compared with other offerings. 

The worldwide joint-replacement implants market is expected to hit $20bn by 2022, according to a new report from Meddevicetracker. The growth is driven by the rising number of elderly patients, whose natural joints have been damaged by arthritis, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, and sport-related injuries. But a look at the market and the three largest segments – shoulder, knee and hip replacements – show that new technological advancements and improved surgical techniques are increasingly making joint replacement surgeries an option for younger people as well. Here's an overview and key insights from two orthopedic surgeons on the current market and key growth drivers and limiters.