Briefs

St. Jude Unveils Line of Succession

Michael Rousseau, chief operating officer of St. Jude Medical, is slated to take the helm at the device giant following the retirement of Daniel Starks, who has served more than 11 years as the company’s chairman, president and CEO. Starks will still play a role at the company as executive chairman of its board of directors, assisting with key stakeholder relationships. Rousseau — who steps up to CEO on Jan. 1 — started at St. Jude in 1999 as senior vice president for cardiac rhythm management global marketing. He went on to lead the company’s realignment of its supply chain management and helped broaden its global customer service operations.

Teleflex Recalls Endobronchial Tube

Following 78 customer complaints, Wayne, Pa.-based Teleflex has recalled its Hudson RCI Sheridan Sher-I-Bronch endobronchial tube. The Class 1 recall affects 233 lots across 12 product codes and comes in the wake of reports that the double swivel connector may crack or separate on the endobronchial tube, potentially causing respiratory distress. No injuries have been reported.

Smiths Looks to Prevent Needle Jabs

In the wake of legislative initiatives to prevent needle stick injuries in healthcare professionals, Smiths Medical has added its Edge safety device technology to both the Portex Pro-Vent and Portex Pulsator arterial blood sampling syringes in the EU.  The product works by issuing audible clicks to the user when the safety mechanism is engaged and ready for disposal in a sharps container.  “The recent safety legislation enactment in the EU has created greater awareness and demand for device-based protection for clinicians,” says Shrikant Rahalkar, vice president for global product management and safety solutions. “Incorporating Edge safety device technology into our ABS blood sampling syringes provides an additional level of protection for patients as well as clinicians.”

Asuragen, Illumina Team Up

Molecular diagnostics company Asuragen has inked an agreement with Illumina on the development and commercialization of sequencing-based companion diagnostics for pharma and biotech partners. Asuragen will use its Quantidex NGS platform for customized companion diagnostics for its partners on the Illumina MiSeqDx instrument. In July, Asuragen launched its Quantidex Pan Cancer Kit for research purposes. The panel integrates reagents, controls, and a novel bioinformatics suite for the sequencing of 21 genes relevant to a diverse set of human cancers, according to the company.

Hill-Rom Completes Welch Allyn Buy

Another $1 billion-plus deal in the device world has closed, with Hill-Rom snapping up Welch Allyn, maker of diagnostic devices and patient monitoring systems. With the deal’s closing, Welch Allyn shareholders will receive more than $1.6 billion in cash and approximately 8.1 million newly issued shares of Hill-Rom common stock. Hill-Rom makes hospital beds, surgical equipment and wound therapy solutions.