Meeting Report: AdvaMed’s MedTech Conference

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The Medtech Conference Logo 2017 vFINAL 01 1The 13th annual MedTech Conference, organized by the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), was held September 23-25 in Boston. More than 3,000 attendees engaged in a variety of sessions highlighting how medical technology is “Improving Health Care. Improving Lives.”

The conference featured over 100 educational sessions with more than 350 speakers including leaders and experts from government – the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – large and small medtech companies, as well as numerous other affiliated organizations (consultants, investors, healthcare providers, and more).

The meeting celebrated notable successes in the industry and emphasized the power of medical technology in the lives of patients. Panel discussions highlighted key current and future policies of interest for the industry and allowed experts to share their experience and best practices for addressing a variety of challenges for industry executives in areas including regulatory and reimbursement, financing, and global markets.

“Every year the programming at AdvaMed is really fantastic, and this year was no exception,” said Emily White, Managing Director of FUS Partners. “It’s a great opportunity to hear updates and future plans for the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) directly from Center Director Jeff Shuren and ask questions during the annual CDRH Town Hall session. Scott Whitaker, AdvaMed CEO, had a great fireside chat with CMS Administrator Seema Verma, where she acknowledged that CMS as it exists now is an inhibitor of innovation and that she’s working hard to make changes. She encouraged the audience to be on the lookout for notices regarding changes in programming.”

According to White, “Every company in the focused ultrasound space should be attending this important meeting. It is valuable not only to stay current on regulatory and reimbursement topics, but to network with medtech investors in the space and strategic investors who might someday be acquirers of the technology. There is a range of AdvaMed conference programming appropriate for any company in the medtech space, but especially for the early-stage companies.”

“Besides organizing this must-attend annual MedTech Conference, AdvaMed is the leading voice for the medical device industry with key stakeholders in Washington, DC, to try to break down barriers for the commercialization and clinical adoption of innovative technology including focused ultrasound,” said Jessica Foley, the Foundation’s Chief Scientific Officer. “The Foundation is partnering with AdvaMed to facilitate membership for more focused ultrasound companies and to help raise awareness of the challenges that our industry faces and help us address them.”

The 2020 MedTech Conference will take place October 5-7, 2020, in Toronto, Canada.