Panel Says Medtronic Edited Product Studies

The New York Times  |  By BARRY MEIER  Published: October 25, 2012  Officials of Medtronic, the medical device maker, edited studies by outside researchers about a controversial spine treatment sold by the company, inserting claims that their product was superior to a competing one, according to a Senate finance committee report released Thursday.    The treatment at issue, known as Infuse, uses a bioengineered protein to fuse spinal vertebrae as a way of reducing back pain. Spinal fusion procedures can also use a competing technique that employs real bone. In recent years, critics of Infuse have charged that Medtronic overplayed its benefits in studies in medical journals that also played down its risks.  Read more