The Food and Drug Administration has filed a court order against medical device giant Medtronic over repeated problems with its implantable drug pumps that went uncorrected for years.
Under the order, Medtronic must halt most production and distribution of its Synchromed II drug pumps, which are implanted devices used to treat patients with cancer, chronic pain and severe muscle spasms.
"The FDA expects that all patients will be treated with safe, effective and high-quality medical devices," said Jan Welch, a director in the agency's center for medical device regulation.