01.13 Daily Digest

Follow me on Twitter! My solution to keeping you updated on a daily basis, while allowing me time to focus time on what I do best- sourcing, qualifying, attracting, and assisting in hiring top talent. Acting as a consultant to both candidates & clients to ensure strategic fit.

I will continue my monthly spine/ortho market insider newsletter. To receive it, you will need to introduce yourself (incl. name, title, company) and send me an e-mail at cjeannot(at)mrica.com.

If you like the format of this blog better, please respond to my blog post on 01/12.

01.12 Daily Digest

I will be taking a break from the blog. Working 12+ hour days 6 days a week is taking a toll on me- my commitments are to my clients and must stay first in priority.

I will need to get some assistance to continue to provided the value. Out of curiosity, how valuable have you found it thus far and would it be a service you would consider subscribing/donating for?

Let me know. Contact me at cjeannot(at)mrica.com.

Sincere best wishes,
Caroline Jeannot
Spine/Ortho/Trauma/Neuro National Recruiter
650-548-4800 x3305

01.11 Daily Digest

PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS/UPDATES
Biocomposites launches geneX®ds. Extending the reach of injectable bone grafts. Learn More 

Integra LifeSciences Announces First Surgery With Paramount(R) Pedicle Screw System for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. Patient benefits of the Paramount(R) system  may include faster procedures, reduced blood loss, less tissue trauma, reduced postoperative pain and a shorter hospital stay. Learn More

REVELANT TO ORTHOPEDIC INDUSTRY
Cold snap good, and bad, for orthopaedic firms. The prolonged cold snap across Europe and North America has led to a surge in fractures caused by slips and road accidents, boosting demand for orthopaedic trauma products used to fix broken bones. However, other patients scheduled for elective procedures — such as hip and knee replacements – have not been able to attend surgery as planned because of the weather. Learn More

RELEVANT TO MEDICAL DEVICE INDUSTRY
Healthcare Spending Decelerates with Recession. Highlights of the report include:

Americans spent $7,681 per person on healthcare in 2008 and $2.3 trillion in total. This represents a slowdown from the prior year, with spending increasing 4.4% in 2008, down from 6% growth in 2007.Total health spending now equates 16.2% of the GDP. In 2007, healthcare comprised 15.9% of the GDP.

Medicare spending increased 8.6% in 2008, up from 7.1% growth in 2007.

Physician and clinical services spending increased 5.0% in 2008, slowing from 5.8% in 2007.

Spending for other professional services, including chiropractors and podiatrists, slowed to 5.6% in 2008 from 6.5% in 2007.

Learn More

01.08 Daily Digest

APPOINTMENTS/EXECUTIVES
Ossur Americas Appoints New Vice-President of Sales and Business Development. Previously, Lou Ruggiero was Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at DJO (Vista, CA) and Chief Commercial Officer of Stereotaxis (St. Louis, MO). Learn More

TranS1 Inc. Announces Appointment of Ken Reali as President and Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Reali was Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Biologics and Spine Business and held positions with Stryker and Biomet. Learn More 

EARNINGS
RSB Spine, LLC, Announces Sales Increases of 38% Year Over Year, 42% Sequentially: Reaches InterPlate(R) Implantation Milestone. Learn More

FEATURED COMPANIES-OTHER
Rodman & Renshaw Initiates NuVasive at Market Perform. The firm says NuVasive’s position as the #5 player in spine surgery sector mandates its rating, however, it believes that a market-wide shock whether it is in terms of reimbursement or guidelines or comparative effectiveness could have a multiplier effect on NuVasive especially given its lack of diversification. Learn More

FUNDING
Salient Surgical Receives $15M in Funding. Individual backers were not named in the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which noted that there were 10 backers in this latest financing. Learn More

NEW START-UPS/COMPANIES
Startup Osteosphere Formed to Market a Technology for Growing Real Human Bone in a Laboratory.  Co-founder Mark Clarke notes their ability to create a full mineralized osteosphere (mature bone tissue) in a matter of 10 days. Learn More

01.07 Daily Digest

APPOINTMENTS
Zimmer Holdings Names Jeffrey B. Paulsen Group President, Global Businesses. Mr. Paulsen most recently served as Chief Operating Officer for MPS Group Inc., a privately held environmental services and facility management firm. From 1996 to 2006, he held a number of increasingly responsible executive roles at Stryker Corporation, including President, Orthopaedic Reconstructive Division. He has also held management roles at Ford Motor Company, McDonnell Douglas Corporation and TriMas Corporation. Learn More

 

COLLABORATIONS/AGREEMENTS/PARTNERSHIPS

TranS1 Inc. Partners With Life Spine, Inc. to Distribute Avatar(TM), a New Minimally Invasive Pedicle Screw System. Learn More

EARNINGS
MAKO Surgical Corp. Announces 2009 Fourth Quarter Selected Operating Results. Seven Robotic-Arm Interactive Orthopedic (RIO) systems were installed and 561 MAKOplasty procedures were performed, representing a 34% increase over the third quarter of 2009 and a 180% increase over the fourth quarter of 2008. Learn More

TranS1 Inc. Announces Preliminary Revenue Results for Fourth Quarter. Revenues 4Q09 are expected to be approximately $6.2 to $6.3 million,  lower than the Company’s previously announced guidance of $6.7 to $7.2 million for the quarter due to concerns in the marketplace surrounding reimbursement for its AxiaLIF procedure. Learn More

FEATURED COMPANIES
Applied Spine Technologies Launches New Corporate Website. A notable new feature of the website is a three scene animation depicting the functional aspects of the Stabilimax System from both an engineering and biomechanical perspective. Learn More

FUNDING
MicroCHIPS Raises $16.5MM, Funds Lead Programs in Osteopororis & Diabetes. Current investors Polaris Venture Partners, Novartis Venture Fund, Flybridge Capital Partners, Medtronic, Saints Capital, Intersouth Partners, Care Capital and CSK Venture Capital were joined by new investor InterWest Partners. Learn More

MiMedx Group Announces Over-Subscription of $5,000,000 Private Placement. The proceeds of its offering of common stock at $0.60 will be used to support the Company’s launch of its first product, the Paradis Vaso Shield(TM), The proceeds of the offering will be used to support the Company’s launch of its first product, the Paradis Vaso Shield(TM), etc. Learn More

REGULATORY
SOTA Orthopaedics Receives CE Mark for O‐Jig™. The O‐Jig™ is designed to allow for accurate metal or bioabsorbable pin placement in olecranon tension
band wiring. Lynch Medical Supplies will manage distribution of the product in Ireland and the U.K. Learn More

 

01.06 Daily Digest

APPOINTMENTS
VertiFlex®, Inc. Announces Appointments of Co-Medical Directors Scott L. Blumenthal, MD and A. Nick Shamie, MD. Learn More

COLLABORATIONS/AGREEMENTS/PARTNERSHIPS
BioMimetic Therapeutics Strengthens its Agreement with Novartis for Exclusive Supply of rhPDGF-BB. The agreement sets forth a clear and strengthened mutual exclusivity commitment whereby Novartis shall manufacture rhPDGF-BB exclusively for BioMimetic for therapeutic applications covering bone, cartilage, tendon and ligaments. Learn More

PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS/UPDATES
Vertebral Technologies, Inc. Announces 500th Implant of the InterFuse® Interbody Fusion Device. The Unilateral Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (UPLIF ® ) procedure uses a single posterior incision to access the disc, reducing tissue dissection and nerve root retraction while preserving the facet joints. Learn More

EARNINGS
For 2Q10 (ended 11/30/09), Biomet posted net sales of US $695.6MM, +5% from 2Q09. (Reconstructive $528.4MM, +6% [+9% excluding Dental]: Hips +4%, Knees +12%, Dental -8%, Extremities +27%, Other +2%; Fixation $57MM, -3%; Spine $58.9MM, +6%; Other $51.3MM, +8%).  Learn More

01.05 Daily Digest

No competitor market information.

01.04 Daily Digests

ACQUISITIONS
Anika Therapeutics Acquires Fidia Advanced Biopolymers: A Leading Innovator in Hyaluronic Acid Based Tissue Engineered Products. Direct commercialization activities will include the portfolio of FAB orthopedic products once approvals are achieved in the United States. Learn More 

Stryker Completes Acquisition of Ascent Healthcare Solutions. As indicated in the November 30, 2009 press release, Ascent will become a division of Stryker operating under the MedSurg group of businesses and will continue to be known as Ascent Healthcare Solutions. Learn More

APPOINTMENTS
ArthroCare Names Scott Schaffner Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sports Medicine. Scott joins ArthroCare from Zimmer Spine where he was Vice President of Sales and General Manager and succeeds John H. (Jack) Giroux who is retiring effective January 15, 2010. Learn More

EXECUTIVES/FEATURED COMPANIES
Shu-Tung Li, Founder and CEO of Collagen Matrix, Inc. Honored as 2009 New Jersey Executive of the Year and Company Named Sixteenth Fastest Growing Company. The Company currently manufactures collagen- and mineral-based finished medical devices in the areas of neurosurgery, oral surgery, orthopedic-spine surgery, and wound care. Learn More

PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS/UPDATES
SpineGuard Reports 10,000^th Spine Procedure Using PediGuard® for Safer Pedicle Screw Placement. Learn More

REGULATORY
Extremity Medical Introduces the TrapEZX Anatomic Trapezium Prosthesis, Announces CE Mark and Limited Release in US & Europe. The TrapEZX Prosthesis is the first completely anatomic trapezium bone replacement available in the world and is intended to treat degenerative and post traumatic disabilities of the thumb basal joint. Learn More

12.31- 01.01 Daily Digests

Have a Happy New Year!

12.30 Daily Digest

OTHER CLINICAL STUDIES
American Journal of Sports Medicine Study Finds Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery Can Improve Pain Relief and Shoulder Function. Female patients and those who could not raise their arm to 90 degrees to the side before the surgery were had worse clinical results. Learn More