World’s largest medical imaging companies join world’s largest medtech association

WASHINGTON, D.C.,  – Today, AdvaMed, the Medtech Association, announced the establishment of a new Medical Imaging Technology division focused on advocating on behalf of large and small companies for the essential role of medical imaging technology, radiopharmaceuticals, contrast media, and focused ultrasound devices in our nation’s health care system. Leading medical imaging companies – such as Bayer, Fujifilm Sonosite, GE HealthCare, Hologic, Philips, and Siemens Healthineers – have formally established AdvaMed as the new home for advocacy on behalf of medical imaging companies, which previously sat within the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), a division of the  National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). 

AdvaMed President and CEO Scott Whitaker said : “This new division is a big step forward not merely for the medical imaging sector, but for AdvaMed and the entire medtech industry. Never before have medical technologies been so connected and interdependent as they are today—and it’s really only the beginning. From traditional medical devices to digital health tech to AI and medical imaging, the opportunity to unify the industry and advance policy solutions for the health care system has never been better. No trade organization is better prepared than AdvaMed to represent the entire medtech industry and take on these advocacy challenges so that our members can continue focusing on what they do best—meeting the needs of the patients they serve. 

“Finally, the timing of Peter Arduini’s election as our new Chair couldn’t be better. His leadership of GE HealthCare, a global leader in medical imaging, pharmaceutical diagnostics and digital solutions, will provide strategic insight and direction to AdvaMed as we work to ensure an aligned and inclusive focus across companies in every sector of medtech.”

Peter J. Arduini, President and CEO of GE HealthCare and newly elected Chair of the AdvaMed Board of Directors, said of the new division : “We are in a new era in which providers and patients rely on medical imaging and digital solutions for critical insights across the entire care pathway from screening, diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy delivery, as well as research and discovery.  As Chair, I look forward to working alongside Scott and my colleagues from across the industry to establish AdvaMed’s new imaging division and ensure it is aligned and integrated to our overall goals of the med tech industry.”

Patrick Hope served as executive director of MITA since 2015 and will now serve as executive director of the new Medical Imaging Technology division at AdvaMed. Hope said : “The future is brighter than ever for the medical imaging companies we served at MITA. Our new home at AdvaMed makes perfect sense: For the first time, we will be surrounded by a team, infrastructure, and resources focused entirely on the patients our companies serve. We will be surrounded by and working directly with experts in medtech policy at the state, national, and global levels. I am 100 percent confident that our companies will see more value in our work together under the AdvaMed umbrella than ever before.

Imaging plays a critical role in our health care system, from diagnosis to treatment:  

  • In the U.S., a medical image is taken every 3 seconds
  • Imaging makes up approximately 80 percent of AI technology cleared by FDA

As is the case with AdvaMed’s Accel, Dx, and Digital Health Tech divisions, AdvaMed’s new Medical Imaging Technology division will be led by a Board of Directors comprised of executives from its imaging company members. The new division will be led within AdvaMed by Patrick Hope, former Executive Director of the Medical Imaging Technology Alliance (MITA). Mr. Hope and Peter Weems, who led MITA’s government affairs and policy strategy, as well as other staff, will round out the division’s staffing needs at AdvaMed going forward.

This division’s creation comes on the heels of  AdvaMed’s announcement last month that it had established a Digital Health division. The recent creation of these two divisions “further demonstrates that AdvaMed is well positioned to lead the entire medtech industry on the advocacy front,” Whitaker said.

In January, AdvaMed will unveil a refreshed version of its “ Medical Innovation Agenda for the 118 th  Congress ,” a list of policy and legislative priorities critical to patient care that will include a new set of priorities for the medical imaging sector.

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Bipartisan PBM Reform Back in Focus as House Committee Plans Hearing

By Sheran Brown • February 20, 2025
A renewed push for prescription drug cost reform is gaining momentum in Congress, with the House Energy and Commerce Committee's health subcommittee planning a hearing on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform for late February. The hearing, to be led by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), signals a revival of bipartisan efforts to regulate these pharmaceutical intermediaries. PBMs, which negotiate drug prices for insurers and employers, have become a focal point in the broader discussion of healthcare costs. A previous bipartisan agreement to regulate these entities was crafted by Carter and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) in the last Congress, though it ultimately stalled when the larger spending bill it was attached to faced opposition. The reform efforts enjoy broad support from both parties and the president, making it one of the few areas with potential for bipartisan cooperation. However, new complications have emerged as Republicans consider using PBM regulations to generate savings for their broader policy agenda, potentially requiring up to $880 billion in cost reductions. The path forward remains uncertain, with ongoing debates about whether such reforms would qualify for budget reconciliation and whether using PBM regulations as a funding mechanism could derail bipartisan cooperation. Meanwhile, stakeholders continue to disagree on the impact of additional PBM regulation, with pharmaceutical companies arguing that PBMs inflate drug costs while PBMs contend that new regulations would increase prices.

Council on State Biotechnology Associations says NIH funds are a critical component of innovation ecosystem

By Sheran Brown • February 20, 2025
The Council of State Biotechnology Associations (CSBA) has issued a strong warning about proposed cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, emphasizing the critical role these grants play in America's biotech innovation ecosystem. The statement, below , comes amid concerns over recent guidance that would reduce NIH funding to key research institutions. ----------------------- “Today, the US biotech industry employs nearly 2.3 million people across the US and is making positive contributions to economic impact and national security across all 50 states. In fact, for every dollar the National Institutes of Health (NIH) contributes to a successful drug, the private sector invests over $65, underscoring the agency’s unparalleled return on investment. As the associations representing the bioscience industry across the nation, the Council on State Biotechnology Associations (CSBA) is concerned by recent guidance that would cut funding provided by the NIH to universities, hospitals, and other institutions that perform critical early-stage research. NIH grant funds are a critical component of our innovation ecosystem. Grants for basic research are the spark that leads to university-driven discoveries, with public-private partnerships and tech transfers that bridge early-stage research to industry-sponsored drug development and ultimately to FDA approved medical advances for hundreds of diseases. While the administration looks for greater efficiency in the use of taxpayer dollars, it cannot be overstated - once scientific innovation moves abroad, it may never return. In the race for scientific innovation around the world, as our adversaries continue to increase government investments in research, we encourage President Trump to follow suit and ensure that we maintain our global leadership in an industry that was created and thrives across the US.”
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