http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/ en Copyright 2008 HealthpointCapital LLC Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:15:23 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.35 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Alphatec Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Alphatec Spine, Inc., a leading medical technology company involved in the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders, with a focus on treating conditions affecting the... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/24/alphatec_spines_osseofix_clinical_study_initiated/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/24/alphatec_spines_osseofix_clinical_study_initiated/ Alphatec Spine, Inc. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:15:23 -0500 Integra LifeSciences this morning announced plans to acquire the Theken family of businesses - Theken Spine, Theken Disc and Therics - for $75.0 million (a 2.2x revenue multiple) plus up to $125.0 million in future performance-based payments. This acquisition represents... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/24/theken_is_taken_integra_to_buy_for_up_to_200_million/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/24/theken_is_taken_integra_to_buy_for_up_to_200_million/ Spine Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:37:24 -0500 CMS proposed a national non-coverage decision for intradiscal electrothermic therapy (IDET), saying there is insufficient evidence that the procedure improves outcomes in the Medicare population. IDET is a minimally-invasive treatment for low back pain where a catheter and a heating... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/24/cms_proposes_national_noncoverage_decision_for_idet/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/24/cms_proposes_national_noncoverage_decision_for_idet/ Reimbursement Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:49:18 -0500 Zimmer's announced yesterday that they would voluntarily suspend sales of the Durom Acetabular Component in the U.S. while they update the labeling and conduct further surgeon training on the product. As a result, the company is lowering full-year revenue guidance... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/23/zimmer_suspends_durom_sales_cuts_guidance/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/23/zimmer_suspends_durom_sales_cuts_guidance/ Zimmer Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:10:44 -0500 ArthroCare's stock was off almost 40% in midday training following an announcement this morning that the company would restate financials from 2006, 2007 and 1Q:08. The restatement stems from a number of issues, including how revenue from DiscoCare was classified,... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/21/more_trouble_for_arthrocare_as_company_announces_plans_to_restate_financials/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/21/more_trouble_for_arthrocare_as_company_announces_plans_to_restate_financials/ Arthrocare Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:05:04 -0500 A study published in the July 14, 2008 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine contends that hip and knee arthroplasty surgeries may be more beneficial to elderly patients than once believed. The study reports that surgery is not only more... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/21/study_finds_hip_and_knee_arthroplasty_worthwhile_for_the_elderly/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/21/study_finds_hip_and_knee_arthroplasty_worthwhile_for_the_elderly/ Clinical Studies Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:04:14 -0500 Earnings Biomet reported FQ4:08 revenues of $635.6 million, an increase of 16% (10% constant currency) over the year-ago period. Sales increased 10% in the U.S and 24% (11% constant currency) OUS. Recon sales increased 17% worldwide (12% constant currency) to... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/17/musculoskeletal_news_roundup_17july08/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/17/musculoskeletal_news_roundup_17july08/ Musculoskeletal News Roundup Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:05:02 -0500 On Tuesday, we attended the FDA's Orthopaedic & Rehabilitative Devices Panel, Oxiplex/SP was voted "Not Approvable" by a 5-2 vote, based largely on the sponsoring company's inability to definitively demonstrate product effectiveness. The two dissenters would have voted it "Approvable... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/16/fziomeds_oxiplex_not_approvable_according_to_fda_panel/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/16/fziomeds_oxiplex_not_approvable_according_to_fda_panel/ FDA Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:34:32 -0500 Researchers at the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center have found a failure rate nearing 24% for ACL reconstruction in young, athletic patients, according to a new study. Of 61 patients aged 15-39 who underwent ACL reconstruction, 14 were deemed... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/16/acl_repair_for_young_active_patients_heightened_risks_create_opportunity_for_regenerative_technologies/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/16/acl_repair_for_young_active_patients_heightened_risks_create_opportunity_for_regenerative_technologies/ Knee Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:44:09 -0500 Hospital for Special Surgery topped U.S. News and World Report's list of the best ortho hospitals in the country, boasting the most discharges of any orthopedic hospital, a large nursing staff and advanced technologies. A low mortality index (0.14), status... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/14/us_news_and_world_report_names_10_best_ortho_hospitals/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/14/us_news_and_world_report_names_10_best_ortho_hospitals/ Trends Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:55:34 -0500 This year's saga of Medicare reimbursement cuts seems to be heading for a happy ending this week, as the Senate voted yesterday to block the scheduled 10.6% cut to payments (reversing a determination from several weeks ago that the cuts... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/10/in_a_turnaround_senate_votes_to_block_medicare_payment_cuts/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/10/in_a_turnaround_senate_votes_to_block_medicare_payment_cuts/ Reimbursement Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:05:15 -0500 IP Michigan-based Smart Disc, Inc. received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for U.S. patent application number 10/838,515, covering the company's artificial disc technology. The device can be implanted using a posterior approach and is... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/10/musculoskeletal_news_roundup_10july08/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/10/musculoskeletal_news_roundup_10july08/ Musculoskeletal News Roundup Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0500 If you like to swim, hike or fish, summer is the season. And now the CDC has even more good news about these fun outdoor activities: you're probably not going to get hurt doing them. Summer sports are among the... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/10/summer_safer_for_sports_injuries/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/10/summer_safer_for_sports_injuries/ Trends Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:58:12 -0500 A new JBJS study comparing ReGen Biologics' collagen meniscus implant, Menaflex, with partial meniscectomy was published this week, and the publication comes as a rare bit of good news for the struggling ReGen. At 311 patients, the multi-center study was... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/08/jbjs_regens_collagen_meniscus_implant_improves_clinical_outcomes_for_some_patients/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/08/jbjs_regens_collagen_meniscus_implant_improves_clinical_outcomes_for_some_patients/ Clinical Studies Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:55:23 -0500 Last week the FDA released a public health notification regarding the off-label use of of rhBMP (InFuse, OP-1) in the cervical spine. The agency says that over the past four years there have been at least 38 reports of complications... http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/07/fda_issues_warning_regarding_offlabel_use_of_rhbmp/ http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2008/07/07/fda_issues_warning_regarding_offlabel_use_of_rhbmp/ Spine Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:47:14 -0500