Medical Device Daily reviews the Top 10 noteworthy med-tech stories of 2012

ATLANTA, Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While the world did not end in 2012 as some imagined it would, based on a widespread misinterpretation of the ancient civilization's calendar, it was a year of great historical significance for medical technology. In many ways 2012 should be remembered as a turning point for the medical device industry, as several of the year's events are likely to impact medical innovation for decades to come.

The Top 10 list, compiled by the staff of Medical Device Daily, found that without question, the most important story of 2012 was the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. In late June, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts provided the deciding vote to uphold the Affordable Care Act.

"The decision reinforced the most sweeping piece of healthcare legislation since the inception of Medicare in 1965," said Medical Device Daily Executive Editor Holland Johnson "The effect on medical device makers was and still is expected to be mixed, with the most relevant portion being the highly controversial medical device tax. The decision to uphold the healthcare law injected a new sense of urgency into the transformation of the healthcare industry. It also means the 2.3% medical device tax can move forward."

Read more about the Medical Device Daily Top 10 list at http://bit.ly/VwacBg

The other nine stories of 2012 include:

2. The medical device tax and ongoing efforts to get it repealed
3. PIP scandal in Europe
4. The FDA user fee bill
5. The Supreme Court's rejection of the Prometheus patent citing danger to innovation
6. Regulatory and reimbursement decisions related to TAVR
7. The release of stage 2 requirements for the EHR program
8. Two firsts: FDA approval for DES use in heart attack patients and FDA approval for OTC HIV test kit
9. Heart leads concern
10. Roche's hostile efforts to takeover Illumina for $5.7 billion

Medical Device Daily is the news service of record for the medical technology industry and is relied on by thousands of industry insiders every business morning. This business-focused intelligence service is the flagship publication of AHC Media's med-tech group. Medical Device Daily offers unbiased business-focused news to an executive audience striving to stay ahead of the curve in this fast-paced industry.

CONTACT: Holland Johnson, Executive Editor, 404-262-5540

SOURCE Medical Device Daily