Appeals court affirms sentencing of executives who pled guilty to FDCA misdemeanor violations for distribution of salmonella-contaminated eggs; split ruling finds that officers don't need to know they were violating law to be subject to imprisonment.

Three former Synthes executives sentenced to prison time for shipping adulterated devices to market; FDA pushes Invacare to sign consent decree.

Medtronic's INFUSE bone morphogenetic protein is the only product in the musculoskeletal industry that has changed the bar in terms of bone healing, and it is under fire for complications related to off-label use. As regulators and payors crack down on INFUSE and hospitals restrict access to the product, surgeons are seeking alternatives and there are a number of companies lining up to fill the void

During the second quarter of 2011, 57 medical device companies brought in a total of $1.7 billion in financings. The M&A activity reached $28.8 billion, unusually high due to Johnson & Johnson's $21.7 billion takeover of orthopedic device maker Synthes. VC funding represented $76 million or 43% of the second quarter's in vitro diagnostics/research financing aggregate of $177 million. A hefty $4.1 billion was spent on 11 in vitro diagnostic/research M&A transactions, the largest being Thermo Fisher's $3.5 billion buy of Swedish genetics testing firm Phadia AB.