Oct 20, 2021 - Health

Global device sales stay steady amid Delta variant

Bob Herman

A surgeon holds a knee tendon above a table full of medical devices. — Photo: Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images

The Delta variant and hospital labor shortages didn't crush sales of medical devices, earnings reports from Johnson & Johnson and Intuitive Surgical show.

Why it matters: The resurgent coronavirus forced some hospitals and patients to delay care, like spine and knee procedures. But deferred care across the world was nothing like it was at this time last year.

By the numbers: U.S. sales of Johnson & Johnson's orthopedic implants fell 4.5% in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, due to the country's surging virus spread, but globally all device sales for J&J were up 8%.

Similarly, Intuitive Surgical said the number of worldwide procedures performed with its da Vinci surgical robots increased 20% in the third quarter, which raised revenue by 30%.

1 vaccine stat: J&J's COVID-19 vaccine is still expected to bring in $2.5 billion of sales this year, but that would represent less than 3% of J&J's total revenue.

The bulk of J&J's money is made in other drugs and medical devices.

Add Axios on Google

Global device sales stay steady amid Delta variant

What to read next