University researchers will examine adenosine receptor modulator technology’s potential in C. difficile infection and atherosclerosis. CRISPR Therapeutics is partnering with University of Alabama-Birmingham to evaluate gene-editing procedures in Friedreich’s ataxia.

The return of a Republican president to power in last month's US elections showed – for the second time in 2016 – that punditry can be misleading and opinion polls do not always equate with reality. With just a few weeks to President Trump's inauguration, ZS Associates' Brian Chapman gives an early appraisal of how the new administration might view the health care brief in general and the medtech industry in particular.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation announces a spate of 17 deals, bringing its two-year total to more than 200 agreements. Celgene pays $82.5 million up front to partner with Kythera on a ROR gamma T program for cancer immunotherapy.

Brief summaries of recent medtech market and industry developments. This month we cover continuing pressures on the DES and ICD markets, update Edwards’ efforts to roll out its Sapien device for TAVR, and report on QLT’s decision to sell its punctal plug technology.