August 4, 2009 - MDS Nordion, a leading provider of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, has submitted a proposal to Canada’s Expert Review Panel on Medical Isotope and Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) Generator Production, stating the best answer to the shortage of medical radioisotopes is the completion and bringing into service of the MAPLE project.

August 3, 2009 – Abbott is conducting a voluntary recall of its POWERSAIL Coronary Dilatation Catheters, which may be damaged and can cause a leak of contrast material during use, possibly leading to catheter functional failures, including air embolism and myocardial infarction.

August 3, 2009 – Circulatory assist pump maker Thoratec Corp. and small implantable blood pump maker HeartWare International Inc. terminated their merger agreement in response to U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s complaint in the U.S. Federal District Court challenging the proposed acquisition.

July 31, 2009 – Theregen Inc. said its Anginera heart patch, a living three-dimensional engineered human tissue, was used as the foundation for the ”living band-aid for the heart,” as reported recently at the 2009 American Heart Association Cardiovascular Sciences Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

July 31, 2009 – Heart Force Medical Inc. this week received FDA clearance for its digital Ballistocardiograph (dBG), a noninvasive device to assess cardiac performance by measuring and monitoring the mechanical action of the heart.

July 31, 2009 – A United Kingdom court has determined Occlutech GmbH’s products do not infringe on AGA Medical Holdings’ patents for atrial septal defects (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) occlusion devices.

July 31, 2009 – United Therapeutics Corp. said yesterday the FDA approved TYVASO (treprostinil) Inhalation Solution for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) using the TYVASO Inhalation System (which includes the Optineb-ir device and accessories).

July 30, 2009 – The Federal Trade Commission today authorized a lawsuit to block Thoratec Corp’s proposed $282 million acquisition of rival HeartWare International Inc., charging that the transaction would substantially reduce competition in the U.S. market for left ventricular devices (LVADs).

July 30, 2009 – A new study comparing nephrotoxicity of the iso-osmolar contrast medium iodixanol to low-osmolar contrast media (LOCM) found iodixanol shows no reduction in contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) compared to some agents, which may prompt the ACC and AHA to change their current guidelines.

July 29, 2009 – Medtronic Inc. said earlier this week it has reached a settlement with Abbott Laboratories over intellectual property litigation regarding stent design and stent delivery systems.

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