The operating environment for medical technology companies becomes more complex, competitive and costly every year. There is no expectation that 2022 will buck that trend, even as the medtech sector prepares for a third year of working under conditions shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A warning letter to firm with legacy talc drug product puts pharmaceutical industry on notice: the US FDA expects applicants to meet requirements agency imposes post-approval for matters like elemental impurities compliance.

In Medtech Insight's latest rankings of top 100 revenue-earners in the medical device and diagnostics sector, it was steady as she goes for most of the multinational medtechs, with some major exceptions. But there will be more M&A reflected in next year's ranking based on 2018 revenues. Also, medtech groups leading the global market tightened their grip further in 2017, as providers chose to partner more and more with fewer suppliers who can offer a wider provision of services.

As market forces, seasonal flu and extreme weather cause US shortages of intravenous saline solutions to persist, providers writing in NEJM are heartened by idea that federal Homeland Security Department could step in to require manufacturing redundancies. Will industry solve the problem before it becomes a matter of national security?