There’s tremendous potential for growth in minimally invasive surgeries, but successfully tapping into that market requires broad expertise. In an exclusive interview, Larry Gerrans, co-founder and CEO of medical device developer Sanovas, talks about his formulated approach to developing technologies, launching new companies, and disrupting the status quo.

Last patent covering Pfizer’s pain drug is a reissue of an earlier patent on which 180-day exclusivity has already been triggered; FDA has previously declined to award exclusivity to such patents.

In separate “notice of violation” letters issued Oct. 31 but posted several days apart, FDA rejected superiority claims on the part of Cornerstone Therapeutics and Ony for their respiratory distress syndrome drugs.

FDA sent an untitled letter to Ony objecting to web pages and “blurry” video text that imply its lung surfactant is superior to competing products and minimizes Infasurf’s risks; Ony sued Cornerstone last year over its superiority claims.