Cooper announced a plan to buy Cook’s reproductive health business in February. The deal would have been worth $675m up front and $200m in four annual installments. The US FTC determined the deal would have impaired competition in the reproductive health market.

Proposed rule issued in March 2010 requires ‘major statement’ on a drug’s side effects in ‘a clear, conspicuous, and neutral manner’ for TV and radio ads. Bill would mandate a final rule within six months.

Office of Prescription Drug Promotion issued six enforcement letters and launched three research projects in 2021. There were more internal changes as the office switched to electronic submissions of promotional materials and went through year-end reorganization.

The performances of the leading medtechs in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic were impossible to compare and certainly unrepresentative of normal business cycles and competitive activity. Elective care was largely put on hold and emergency needs boosted exceptional demand for certain product types. More than anything else, 2020 tested management skills and planning.