A Medtech Insight analysis of the highest-earning CEOs among the top medtech companies in last year's MTI 100 company league table shows that these individuals benefited mainly from stock and options holdings, as well as very generous incentive bonuses, bestowed upon them by their boards of directors. However, a couple of CEOs, including Zimmer Biomet's David Dvorak and Cardinal Health's George Barrett, who were rewarded fiscally for taking their companies to growth have had their leadership challenged since then.

Among the medtech companies who have released their first-quarter 2017 sales and earnings, Johnson & Johnson and Merit Medical Systems reported progress in their long-term plans to reshape their medical device businesses, while Abbott and Zimmer Biomet received some bad news in the quarter. Smith & Nephew shows signs of a turnaround, and perennial "winner" Edwards Lifesciences provided updates on some important developments in their flagship transcatheter valve business.

The 20 non-US medical device approvals in January, including eight in in vitro diagnostics, four in orthopedics, and three in cardiovascular devices. Big medtech players Medtronic and Abbott, accompanied by much smaller Swiss IVD firm Abionic, led the charge and bagged more OUS approvals than most.