... That was suppose to say "important" not ignorant.
Is it true? the new knee has a troch recess cut? That sucks! I've sold against Zimmer's troch recess cut for the last 7 yrs and now JNJ expects me to sell this new piece of shit!
Attune is almost dead. If--IF-- we get it, it will not be much of an advance. The issues we've had with prior (ahem) 'approvals' (you know, where we kinda forgot to actually GET them approved), plus the ASR recall dynamics have us walking around with the FDA microscopes up our hind ends. Move on. Ain't gonna happen. I'm telling you what the silence is all about.
Looks like this insight from back in April was spot on. Attune is not coming.
According to reps and surgeons who have put these in, this is a game changer. I'm hearing the first phase will be out in late march.
A constant state if delusion. Nothing new.
Maybe game changer is a slight exaggeration but it will definitely make converting business a whole lot easier. Instruments are hands down the best out there. The sizing options are the best out there. The kinematics of this knee are the most natural out there. A noticeable difference even when trailing. The poly is the most advanced on the market. There is a lot more to this knee that when put together makes the most natural feeling knee for patients that has the best instruments to put the widest seizing selection of implants in with.
"Compared to the other knees it will still be an off-the-shelf implant". I hope you not implying that custom implants will be the next thing. You really think that is the way total knees is heading? With all the sizing options with attune you aren't really gaining anything by making a patient specific implant.
"Specialty coating on implants". What are you trying to accomplish? Lower wear can be accomplished through the poly and kinematics of the bearing.
Instruments are hands down the best out there. - they are HP instruments, so "hands down" is a stretch. Competitive surgeons weren't impressed when they came out, so not sure why those opinions will change now.
The sizing options are the best out there. - maybe, but what about carrying cost? That's more important than you realize in today's market. TJA prices are dropped at a scary rate!
The kinematics of this knee are the most natural out there. - Source?
The poly is the most advanced on the market. - Source? Not having a traditional x link poly is going to hurt sales. Even Depuy reps are saying it. Hell, there are a lot of surgeons who still are having a hard time w putting x link in the knee as it is. Do you think those surgeons are gonna buy into an untested anti ox poly? Btw, when the anti ox is added, what is taken away?
I hope you not implying that custom implants will be the next thing. - nope, just that knees have gotten so good that another off the shelf knee will not be a game changer.
Bottom line is that yes the Attune will be a much needed replacement for the sigma, and lcs. Will it convert long time Triathlon, Nex Gen, Legion, or even Nat Knee users? Doubt it. Will it convert some docs? sure. Will it be a revolutionary product in the TKA market? No.
The 7:26 poster most have been a competitive rep. Attune instruments aren't HP. I'm not going to comment on the other poster's specific claims but they aren't that far off. The only bad thing I will say about attune is having to lug around more inventory and that the surgeon has to use AOX poly.
This seems to be a well thought out post. To the poster, what do you feel it is going to take for an ortho company to move market share in the total joint realm?
I think "game changer" is very typical of the DePuy mindset. It's the arrogance that blinds management to reality. ASR was a game changer wasn't it? If more time were spent truly understanding the market, supporting the sales force and giving them the help they need (instead of resenting them and treating them like the enemy), supporting and funding real R&D it would be a totally different scenario inside and outside DePuy. Theres so much disdain swirling around the company that the focus has changed to what seems to be constant damage control. When DePuy was at its best was when it was being ran by true leaders who understood how to run a business. Do what's right for the patient, build trusting relationships with the customer, respect and support the sales force and create an environment internally where people want to come to work every day. Reward employees for what they do not WHO they do. No high school management mentality. That's what DePuy use to be. Now it's lost the focus and the support of the very people it needs to survive. It's sad to hear the hate and resentment that's directed toward the company by the sales force and employees. Doesn't common sense tell you under these conditions you will never truly succeed? Stop spending all you're time sitting in a effing conference room coming up with bullshit buzz words that you think will dazzle the customer and impress the sales force. Spend your time fixing the internal DePuy. Clear out the marketing fat and get back to basics.
Not rocket science just my two cents...
I think truly moving/shifting market share by an ortho company takes a major event. Remember J Nicholas's comment he made on the tee box in front of a bunch of reporters about his hip squeaking? That sent Stryker who was #1 in hips to lose mkt share. It also gave Depuy an opportunity to go against ceramics w metal, and shift mkt share in their direction. Fast forward to today, and Stryker is nipping at Depuy's heals (virtually statistically even), because of shift away from metal.
Look at the knee market. Who's #1? Zimmer. Everyone thought when Z bought out all their consulting agreements they would lose market share, however it didn't happen. DePuy has lost steam bc lack of any real innovation. They kept "putting lipstick on a pig" when Z and Stryker, and even S&N were launching something to appeal to the market. The only thing that has kept them close are their stable of consultants (engh, Dennis, ranawat, etc).
At local levels, shifting market share could actually be controlled more by the hospitals Supply Chain than we all may want to admit. We are losing price daily. So how will companies try to maintain a position in a hospital? Volume controls price. The hospital doesn't give a shit if your xlink poly is called AOX, X3, Verilast. They also don't care about how many Narrow sizes you may have, or if your femur is black. Does it work? How much is it?
I don't think it's all doom and gloom, but saying a "new" product is a gonna be a game changer, really think about that statement.
