GE, Philips and Siemens among those jumping ship from imaging trade group to unite around newly formed alternative

UPDATED on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 11 a.m. 

Several prominent imaging device manufacturers are jumping ship from the Medical Imaging Technology Alliance and uniting around a newly formed alternative.

AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, announced the launch of its Medical Imaging Division on Monday morning. Members of the new endeavor include a who’s who of industry leaders, among them: Bayer, Fujifilm Sonosite, GE HealthCare, Hologic, Philips and Siemens Healthineers, according to an announcement.

Around since the early 1970s, AdvaMed bills itself as the largest medical device association in the world. A handful of companies hold membership in both associations, but a group of imaging manufacturers has now decided to consolidate into the bigger fish. Patrick Hope, former executive director of MITA, will lead AdvaMed’s new division, while Peter Weems, who oversaw policy and government affairs, joins him, alongside other former alliance staffers.

Is this an acquisition on the part of the larger trade group?

“It’s a lot like that,” AdvaMed President and CEO Scott Whitaker told Radiology Business by phone. “When you think of trade association engagement of this nature, it doesn’t fit the technical definition of an acquisition, but effectively it’s the same thing.”

“This was driven, not by AdvaMed trying to have a hostile takeover of their imaging group, but by the members of that community who felt like they would be better positioned here,” he added later. “We welcome those who are joining us, and we’re excited about the future.”

Through a spokesperson, MITA declined to comment on AdvaMed’s announcement. The alliance is a division of the larger National Electrical Manufacturers Association, which issued a brief statement.

“The medical imaging division (MITA) remains at NEMA with all members retained,” a spokesperson told Radiology Business. “NEMA looks forward to continuing to serve those members in standardization, market data programs and, for PET technologies, advocacy.”

Meanwhile, none of the members of AdvaMed’s new imaging division (listed in the press release) immediately responded to a request for comment Friday, except for one.

“Philips is proud of its membership with AdvaMed and excited about the expansion of its advocacy for the powerful impact that imaging technologies have on improving care for patients and the experience for clinicians in the U.S.,” a spokesperson said by email.

As part of the announcement, GE HealthCare President and CEO Peter J. Arduini was named as the newly elected head of AdvaMed’s Board of Directors.

“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,” Arduini said in a Dec. 11 announcement. “As chair, I look forward to working alongside Scott [Whitaker] 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.”

AdvaMed plans to unveil a refreshed version of its “Medical Innovation Agenda for the 118th Congress,” which is a list of policy and legislative priorities. This will include a new set of key issues within the imaging space, leaders noted. Whitaker said some of the new division’s key areas of focus will include third-party servicing of imaging machines/consumers’ right to repair, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, supply chain concerns, and medical device user fees from the FDA.

“Our focus at AdvaMed is trying to make sure that the public policy environment is right so that those who are innovating, creating and manufacturing treatments and cures for patients can be successful in doing that,” Whitaker said. “It really matters to everyone, whether it’s the radiologist, the CEO, the business development person, the scientist or the patient. At the end of the day, a healthy med tech ecosystem is critical for the healthcare system, and that’s why what we do matters. And that’s why it’s good to have everyone here together, pushing on all of those fronts to make sure we’re making a difference.”

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Update: After AdvaMed released its announcement on Dec. 11, NEMA issued the following expanded statement: 

"For nearly a century, NEMA has proudly served the electrical industry, including the medical imaging industry which was once largely embedded within it.

To clarify recent confusing public statements and inaccurate media accounts, NEMA is maintaining its medical imaging division (MITA), with all members retained. As has been the case in the past, and will be the case going forward, companies can and continue to be members of both NEMA and AdvaMed.

NEMA has developed a wealth of intellectual property (IP) in its service to the electrical industry, including medical imaging standards and market data. NEMA retains these assets and will continue to serve the medical industry in ways that best support its policies, standards, and data objectives. NEMA looks forward to continuing to serve its MITA members in standardization and market data programs.

For PET technologies, NEMA will continue to provide a full suite of services, including advocacy. Starting on January 1st, NEMA will scale down its advocacy services on some medical imaging issues, resulting in commensurately reduced resources, including staff."