Medtech in a Minute: It Was a Big Week for Medtech

Medtronic and Abbott Form an Unlikely Alliance

Medtronic and Abbott shook up the diabetes tech space this week with the surprising news of a partnership. The two rivals will collaborate on an integrated continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system based on Abbott's FreeStyle Libre technology that will connect with Medtronic's automated insulin delivery and smart insulin pen systems. Abbott will design the CGM and Medtronic will sell it. Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.

Medtech Could See a Supporter in the White House

The news of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz being added to Kamala Harris' ticket for the upcoming presidential election could be good news for medtech. As the governor of a major medtech hub, Walz has shown his support for medical innovation in several ways since 2019.

EMA Launches Orphan Medical Device Pilot

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a new pilot program to support manufacturers and notified bodies on the development and assessment of orphan medical devices in the European Union. Orphan devices are characterized as medical devices intended to be used for diseases or conditions affecting a small number of patients each year — 12,000 or less in the EU per year.