Biotech has always been a volatile sector, and it is important for investors to recognize the phases its stocks go through. In particular, the journey through the post-bubble wilderness can be a protracted affair.

Medical device companies – including Sientra, Endologix and Invacare – won loans from the US government’s Paycheck Protection Program, intended to protect jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. In total, nearly 1,400 device makers collected as much as $1.6bn, according to a Medtech Insight analysis of PPP data.

Driven by increasingly cost-conscious payers, health care is shifting from a volume-based model to “value-based care,” now the latest buzzword. In response, the medical device industry has started employing new commercial strategies.

This week’s roundup includes CEO appointments by Smart Matrix and IRX Therapeutics, with various senior level appointments by companies including Therachon, Mission Therapeutics and bluebird bio.