Schmidt Group Updates | October 2026

The State of Medtech: Fall 2026

It’s been a busy month in the medical device industry, and the overall picture is one of steady momentum mixed with policy uncertainty.

Deals keep coming. PwC reported $36.5 billion in medtech acquisitions over the first half of this year, with deal volumes and values tracking above the midpoint of 2025. The biggest one is still pending: Boston Scientific expects its acquisition of Penumbra to close in the second half of 2026. Venture money is moving too. Zenflow raised $52M and signed a distribution deal with Cook Medical on Oct. 6, and ARPA-H awarded more than $100M to biosensor development projects. www.medtechdive.com +2

Innovation and FDA activity. Edwards’ adjustable heart valve for children received FDA approval, a device that could help young patients avoid multiple open-heart surgeries as they grow. Medtronic announced clearances for cardiac mapping and ablation software on Oct. 1, and the FDA said it will prioritize guidance on AI and surgical robots next year. On the quality side, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and GE HealthCare were among the companies on the FDA’s September recalls list. Medical Technology News +2

Tariffs remain the big question. As of September, the Bureau of Industry and Security still lists the Section 232 investigation into medical devices as open, with no proclamation attached. Meanwhile, 178 China Section 301 exclusions are set to expire on November 10, so expect sourcing and supply chain conversations to heat up. idataresearchvamstar

What’s next. AdvaMed’s MedTech Conference will bring more than 4,000 leaders from over 1,800 companies to Boston October 18–21, and it should give us a clearer read on where the industry is headed into 2027. themedtechconference

For companies and candidates alike, the takeaway is the same: consolidation, new technology and supply chain shifts are creating movement, and movement creates opportunity. If you’re thinking about your next hire or your next career step, let’s talk.

Other MedTech News:

Oracle Health breach exposed data of nearly 20 million people: Report

FDA Device Recall Problems Raise Questions About Patient Safety, Clinician Liability

Top medtech conferences in 2027

43% of hospitals are in the red: 6 financial notes

Contact for Industry Related News

Do You Need Help Hiring 1099 Independent Sales Agents / Distributors? We can help!

We partner with experts across multiple specialties, including but not limited to:

• Spine

• Orthopedic

• Pain Management

• Sports Medicine

• General Surgery

• Wound Care

• Gynecology

• Oncology

• Respiratory

• Neurology

• Urology

• Cardiovascular

• Primary Care

• Physician Offices

Ready to write your own success story? We're happy to help!

Explore our website to learn more about our 1099 recruiter opportunities, connect with Bonnie on LinkedIn, or schedule a 15-minute introductory call to discuss your goals.

Let's Connect

Inside the Guide: What You’ll Learn

When the product is ready
Why early-stage manufacturers turn to independent reps
How 1099 Recruiters help
Compensation by specialty
Build an offer reps will carry
The variables that make a product line compelling

Download Our Medical Device Compensation Guide

Top Talent Seeking Opportunities

Experienced VP / Head of Global Clinical Operations & Affairs

Executive Profile: High-impact Clinical Operations Executive with 25+ years of leadership spanning global large and high-growth biotech/medical device innovators. Proven track record driving early feasibility, pivotal, and post-market clinical portfolios from protocol design through successful FDA IDE/PMA submissions. Expert in navigating complex regulatory environments, managing vendor relationships, and driving trial readiness for high-stakes medical device/biotech studies.

Core Competencies:

Trial Oversight: Protocol implementation, Site Qualification Visits (SQV), and clinical milestone tracking.
Vendor & Stakeholder Management: Cross-functional alignment between sponsors, CROs, and clinical sites.
Regulatory & Quality Compliance: Expert-level knowledge of GCP, ICH guidelines, FDA regulations, and secure eTMF/clinical documentation management.
Cross-Functional Leadership: A collaborative partner capable of aligning medical device/biotech sponsors, CROs, and investigative sites seamlessly.
Key Value Proposition: A proactive operations leader who bridges the gap between protocol strategy and site execution, ensuring trials stay on timeline, within scope, and fully inspection-ready.

Interested in VP roles at small and medium-sized companies or functional leadership roles in clinical operations at large companies.

If you wish to speak to this candidate, contact Neal at 985-789-0490 or schedule a meeting!

Connect with Neal

The Man Who Outlived His Pacemaker’s Inventors

In October 1958, in a hospital in Stockholm, a 43-year-old engineer named Arne Larsson lay close to death. A viral infection had damaged his heart’s electrical system, and his heartbeat had slowed so much that he was having dozens of fainting spells a day. Doctors had nothing left to offer.

His wife, Else-Marie, refused to accept that. She had heard about two men at the Karolinska Institute, surgeon Åke Senning and physician-engineer Rune Elmqvist, who had been experimenting with an implantable device to keep a heart beating. It had only been tested on animals. She pushed them to try it on her husband anyway.

The device they built was remarkably simple: two transistors and a rechargeable battery, sealed in epoxy resin. Elmqvist reportedly used an empty shoe polish tin as the mold. The result was about the size of a hockey puck. Senning implanted it on October 8, 1958, making Larsson the first person in the world to receive a fully implanted pacemaker.

The first unit failed within hours. A backup was implanted, and while early devices were far from perfect, they kept him alive long enough for the technology to improve.

And improve it did. Over the next four decades, Larsson received 26 different pacemakers as the industry moved from transistors to lithium batteries to programmable devices. He became an advocate for patients, and a living demonstration of what technology could do.

The most remarkable part of the story is how it ended. Arne Larsson died in 2001 at the age of 86, outliving both Elmqvist and Senning, the men who had saved his life.

Today, more than a million pacemakers are implanted worldwide each year. Every one of them traces back to a desperate wife, two determined innovators and a shoe polish tin.

At Sanford Rose Associates, we work every day with the people carrying that legacy forward, from engineers to sales and clinical professionals. If you’re building your team or considering your next move in medtech, we’d love to talk.

Contact Our Team

Ingredients:

• 2.4 lb pumpkin (any type) OR butternut squash, unpeeled weight

• 1 onion, sliced (white, brown, yellow)

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled whole

• 3 cups of vegetable or chicken broth/stock, low sodium

• 1 cup of water

• Salt and pepper

Finishes:

• ¾ cup cream, half and half or milk

Instructions:

1. Cut the pumpkin into 2.25" slices. Cut the skin off and scrape seeds out. Cut into 1.5" chunks.

2. Place the pumpkin, onion, garlic, broth and water in a pot – liquid won't quite cover all the pumpkin. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce heat and let simmer rapidly until pumpkin is tender (check with butter knife) – about 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and use a stick blender to blend until smooth.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir through cream (never boil soup after adding cream, cream will split).

5. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle over a bit of cream, sprinkle with pepper and parsley if desired. Serve with crusty bread!

Contact for More Recipes