A Supreme Court verdict handed down June 13 would give manufacturers a better chance at winning enhanced damages in patent suits.

CR Bard had a “solid” third quarter, beating analyst expectations across all divisions and seeing margin expansion, noted Jefferies’ Raj Denhoy. Standout performances came in its vascular and surgical divisions, which saw sales of $209.9m (+4% year-on-year) and $118.1m (+10% year-on-year), versus analyst estimates of $199m and $115m, respectively. The former was driven by its Lutonix drug-eluting balloon, while the latter was helped by the surgical sealant contribution from Neomend, which Bard acquired last year (www.clinica.co.uk, 24 October 2012).

The US FDA has issued a pair of reports focused on device safety and innovation. The reports describe recent steps the agency has taken to improve in the two areas, and what it plans to do next.