Tag: POCs

SAN DIEGO – ResMed has ended its three-year foray into the portable oxygen concentrator market due to “market conditions.”  The company says payers and HME providers are relying less on POCs for Stage 2 and Stage 3 COPD patients, dampening demand for the devices.  “ResMed has determined that it can successfully execute its respiratory care strategy and provide the most benefits to patients, HMEs, clinicians and all other stakeholders by reinvesting its...

GOLETA, Calif. - Following Inogen's multiple years of high revenue growth, the fourth quarter of 2019 represented a “slowdown,” acknowledges CEO Scott Wilkinson.The company reported revenue of $78.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to $86.5 million for the same period in 2018, an 8.8% decrease. It reported a net loss of $1.4 million vs. a net income of $10 million. “We are assessing our organization from both a commercial and operational perspective to identify how...

GOLETA, Calif. - Inogen officials say they stabilized the business in the third quarter of 2019, after spending the past few quarters right-sizing the company's direct-to-consumer sales force.The company reported DTC sales decreased to $37.8 million in the third quarter compared to $38.3 million for the same period last year, amid a 40% reduction in its sales force for the channel, which was offset by an increase in productivity.“On the direct-to-consumer side, now it's getting back to hiring...

Driven by growing consumer demand, portable oxygen concentrators are becoming more mainstream in the HME industry. And not only are the devices becoming the preferred modality for consumers, they are also being increasingly embraced by physicians and other respiratory clinicians, oxygen market observers say.There are various reasons for the burgeoning growth, but the dominant force seems to be high consumer demand. Patients want these units, said Frank Lazzaro, director of global product management...

GOLETA, Calif. - 2018 was a “year of investment” for Inogen and it paid off, company officials say, with a 50.4% increase in direct-to-consumer sales in the fourth quarterThe company topped out at 446 inside sales reps for its DTC segment by the end of 2018, a nearly 70% increase compared to 2017.“We feel very comfortable investing in sales capacity, looking at the long-term (potential of the POC market),” said CEO Scott Wilkinson during a conference call to discuss the company's...

YARMOUTH, Maine - Two of the most read vendor stories of 2018 concerned Philips (No. 1) and Invacare (No. 5) going direct to cash-paying consumers for their portable oxygen concentrators.That's not surprising, of course. HME providers have been on watch for years for manufacturers tip-toeing into the DTC market, much like Inogen did years ago. But they haven't had anything concrete to go on—until now.Unlike Inogen, Philips and Invacare are only providing POCs direct to cash-paying customers,...

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - 3B Medical is officially competing for POC business.The company, already established in the sleep therapy market, will start showing and taking orders for its 3B Aer, which weighs in at 4.5 pounds, in February, and plans to start shipping the POCs in March.“It is a competitive market—there will be at least nine manufacturers of POCs starting in February,” said Alex Lucio, CEO. “What does that do? The pricing becomes softer. These units were significantly...

NEW YORK - The majority of HME providers are reducing or delaying orders for oxygen and CPAP equipment, but that is likely to be temporary, according to a new survey for the fourth quarter of 2018 from Needham & Company.Sixty three percent of respondents said they would reduce or delay orders for oxygen equipment in response to an any willing provider provision set to go into effect Jan. 1 for Medicare, according to the survey of 150 providers.Respondents said they would also reduce or delay orders...

SAN DIEGO - ResMed is still keeping its plans for the Mobi portable oxygen concentrator largely under wraps.During a conference call on Thursday to discuss ResMed's financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, CEO Mick Farrell reiterated that the company plans for a “full product launch” in the third quarter, meaning sometime in January-March. He also doubled down on the company's plans to use a “go-to-market” model that focuses on a “full partnership...

GOLETA, Calif. - Matt Scribner, Inogen's executive vice president of operations, will leave the company, effective Jan. 2, 2019. Bart Sanford, most recently senior vice president of operations at Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company, will step into the role on Sept. 17, 2018, to ensure an orderly transition, according to a press release. “Matt has been a part of the company's success and I want to thank him for his many contributions to Inogen over the years and wish him the best in his...