French obstacles to implantables being lifted:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
After years of delays and obstacles, manufacturers of defibrillators are looking forward to being able to sell their products in the French private healthcare sector for the first time. All that is now left for this to become a reality is for the regional hospital agencies to nominate the hospitals that they have approved to implant these products. Nominations will also be made of clinics allowed to implant DDD:R pacemakers for the first time. This summer has seen the approval by the commission for the evaluation of products and procedures within the healthcare products safety agency of a total of some 23 defibrillators manufactured by St Jude, Ela Medical, Guidant, Medtronic and Biotronik as well as the DDD:R pacemakers. Also achieved has been a pricing agreement between the industry and government intended to limit expenditure on these products.