• Illinois: Abbott has received FDA approval for its over-the-counter glucose monitor, Lingo. The device debuted in the United Kingdom last year to track glucose spikes in people without diabetes. While Abbott is planning on bringing the device to the United States, it has yet to share specific rollout plans in the U.S. market. A spokesperson for Abbott said in a statement that the company will provide more details soon. (Reuter, MedTech Dive, 6/3)
• New Jersey: BD on Monday announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Edwards Lifesciences' critical care business for $4.2 billion in cash. The critical care business will operate in Irvine, California as a separate unit within BD Medical and will be led by Katie Szyman, the current corporate VP of Critical Care at Edwards. (Kirsh, MassDevice, 6/3)
• North Carolina: A district court judge on Wednesday ordered that Novant Health can move forward with its plan to purchase two hospitals from Community Health Systems, denying FTC's request for an injunction. FTC in January sued to block the sale of Lake Normal Regional Medical Center and Davis Regional Medical Center to Novant, arguing the deal would harm competition in the market and lead to increased costs. In his ruling, Judge Kenneth Bell said that the benefits of avoiding the pending closure of Davis Regional and adding services to Lake Normal Regional outweighs FTC's concerns about market competition and lost tax revenue as the hospitals move to nonprofit ownership. (Bannow, STAT+ [subscription required], 6/5; Hudson, Modern Healthcare, 6/5)

No stakeholder in healthcare is staying in their lane. Cost and margin pressures, in-market growth limitations, competitive threats to core business, and a growing MA population are driving payers, providers, and retailers to purchase assets or partner with organizations that exist outside of where they traditionally do business. Learn about the four biggest questions (and answers) about industry consolidation.