News Briefs: MAKO Purchase; KCI Merger; Medicare Competitive Bidding Update

Orthopedic robotic firm MAKO Surgical Corp. is bringing more implant development expertise in-house as it prepares to be bought out by Stryker Corp. MAKO announced Oct. 2 its plans to acquire substantially all of Pipeline Biomedical Holdings Inc.’s business, just a week after Stryker announced an agreement to purchase MAKO for about $1.65 billion. (See Also see "Stryker MAKO Purchase Could Preview Ortho’s Future" - Medtech Insight, 30 September, 2013..) Pipeline has already been partnering with MAKO since 2010 to develop and supply implants for use with MAKO’s RIO robotic-arm interactive orthopedic surgical system, including the Restoris PST cup and tapered stem implant system used with the RIO MAKOplasty total hip arthroplasty software application. The deal includes a credit for $2.5 million previously paid by MAKO to Pipeline and the issuance of about four million MAKO shares, which comes to about $117 million based on MAKO’s Oct. 1 closing price. Stryker signaled plans for the share issuance used in the acquisition in its Sept. 25 announcement. In April, MAKO acquired the surgical robot business of Stanmore Implants Worldwide Ltd. (See Also see "News In Brief" - Medtech Insight, 22 April, 2013..)

Kinetic Concepts Inc., Systagenix Wound Management Ltd. and LifeCell Corp. will merge to form a single wound care, biologics and regenerative management company, the firms announced Sept....