September/October 2005
MX Magazine
Selected Contents
EDITOR'S PAGE
COVER STORY
Affairs of the Heart
Interview by Steve Halasey
Not that long ago, heart disease sufferers simply died. But the ventricular-assist device (VAD) technology pioneered by Thoratec Corp. (Pleasanton, CA) keeps them alive for transplant, for treatment by another therapy, or even long term. In this issue's cover story, Thoratec's president and CEO D. Keith Grossman recounts the satisfactions of dominating the market with a proven technology that gives some of the sickest patients another shot at life. He discusses the business focus and strategies that have smoothed the roads to regulatory approval and reimbursement, the role of the clinical community in furthering Thoratec's success, and how it has felt to grow substantially as an independent company.
Sidebars:
Cardiac-Assist Devices and FDA Efforts | Investing in the Future
Expanded Version of this article
TOPSPIN
Consumer Power
Pamela Rasmussen
Patients informed through direct-to-consumer campaigns can effect changes in standards of care.
BUSINESS PLANNING & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Five strategies can help medtech firms discern among the hundreds of CROs out in the marketplace.
Getting the Right Clinical Research Organization
Jon LeSage
When making coverage decisions, payers want data that demonstrate the value of new medical technologies.
Demonstrating Value to Payers
Melissa Martinson and Rosemary Brekke
Sidebar: Quantifying the Healthcare Value of New Technology
Expanded Version of this article
Creating an Innovation Culture Medical device innovation comes through methodical process rather than inspiration.
Andrew Diston
Sidebars: The Fruits of Nurture | Supplementing Innovation
ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION & SALES
Device Marketing Today
Rachelle Grabowski
Award-winning campaigns address new media, consumer awareness, new product categories.
Sidebars: Joining the Movement | From Maverick Start-Up to Marketing Champ in Six Months | How to Find a Stronger Voice | A Fresh Approach, a New Personality | 2005 In-Awe Winners | The Program That Launched a Million Stents
Expanded Version of this article
Cracking the Consumer Market
Debra Kurtz
Retail channels and direct-to-consumer marketing offer a tempting target for some medtech manufacturers, but knowing the rules of the game is critical.
Sidebar: Steps to Retail Success
Expanded Version of this article
IT IN HEALTHCARE
Going Smart
Lori Luechtefeld
Using sophisticated software and product-embedded systems, medtech manufacturers are growing more-intelligent devices.
Expanded Version of this article
BUSINESS NEWS
- Crawford Confirmed as FDA Chief
- Congress Acts to Ensure Continuation of User Fee Program
- IOM Report Calls for Improved Postmarket Monitoring
- Unsettling Words
