Recent Stories
Downsizing innovations: Devicemakers developing new surgical options for obesity

FDA approval of a new implant to reduce feelings of hunger may prompt more investor and provider interest in a market that has seen little recent innovation.
Hep C drug price war likely to slow Gilead's growth

The soaring sales and profits reported by Gilead Sciences in 2014 aren't likely to be repeated as the company begins to offer steeper discounts on its blockbuster hepatitis C treatments Sovaldi and Harvoni.
Premier moves into direct-sourcing business with S2S Global buy

Premier, the Charlotte, N.C.-based provider of group purchasing services and quality improvement tools, has acquired the remaining 40% of the company that operates its direct sourcing business.
Boston Scientific forecasts lower sales growth in 2015

Boston Scientific Corp., a manufacturer of heart devices and other medical supplies, said sales edged up 3% to $1.88 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014 fueled by growth in its cardiovascular business.
Gilead's 2014 profit margin nears 50%, fueled by hep C drugs

Gilead Sciences, the Foster City, Calif.-based drugmaker, said sales of its blockbuster hepatitis C duo topped $3.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014, fueling quarterly revenue that doubled to $7.3 billion and $3.5 billion in profits.
Purchasing networks VHA and UHC plan merger

VHA and UHC, which already jointly own a group purchasing organization, are merging to gain capital as tight hospital budgets and demands for new data and analytics tools upend the traditional healthcare purchasing model.
Endoscope infections at Virginia Mason prompt broader safety fears

Dozens of patients at the Seattle hospital were infected with a deadly bacteria spread by a type of endoscope essential for treating certain conditions but hard to disinfect because of its design. That has raised questions about who is responsible for preventing and correcting the problems.
Humira profits can't save tough quarter for AbbVie

A 10.6% increase in sales of its top-selling arthritis drug Humira still couldn't produce positive fourth-quarter earnings for drugmaker AbbVie, the Chicago-based spinoff of Abbott Laboratories.
Zimmer reports weak knee and hip implant sales ahead of Biomet buy

Orthopedic implant manufacturer Zimmer Holdings reported a 1.4% drop in revenue to $1.22 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014 as worldwide sales of hip and knee implants decrease.
Hologic raises full-year guidance after strong first quarter

Hologic, a Bedford, Mass.-based manufacturer of diagnostic and imaging equipment, reported that revenue rose 6.6% to $652.8 million in its fiscal first quarter with each of its businesses reporting growth.
Devicemaker Stryker's 2014 profits fall 49%

Stryker Corp.'s net earnings tumbled 48.8% to $515 million in 2014 even though sales were up 7.3% for the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based maker of orthopedic devices and medical surgical supplies. The company blamed the earnings drop in part on charges related to three product recalls.
Bristol-Myers Squibb hurt by strong dollar; 2014 net falls 22%

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. saw revenue fall 3% to $15.88 billion in 2014, in part because of declining sales of its top-selling drug, the antipsychotic Abilify, which fell 12% for the year.
East Coast providers take emergency measures as massive storm nears

With a massive snowstorm set to hit the East Coast, New York and Boston healthcare providers were asking staff to stay at facilities overnight, stockpiling supplies, postponing elective surgeries and asking pregnant patients to come in early to be at hospitals when the worst of the storm hits.
New models send spinal cord stimulator prices up 8%

Hospitals are facing higher prices for spinal cord stimulators, used to treat patients with chronic pain, since two manufacturers launched more complex versions of the devices in 2013, according to the Modern Healthcare/ECRI Institute Technology Price Index.
Covidien reports strong quarter as takeover looms

Covidien, an Ireland-based medical supplier, reported a 28% increase in net income for the first quarter of 2015 as the company prepares to close a billion-dollar deal to be acquired by medical-device manufacturer Medtronic.