There are plenty of trends to watch out for in 2026, following a successful — albeit unpredictable — year for the medical device industry.
Wall Street analysts called out M&A as a key trend to watch. And those predictions have already panned out. This month has seen a string of acquisition announcements, including Boston Scientific’s $14.5 billion proposal to buy Penumbra. After M&A activity picked up in the second half of 2025, particularly in the final months of the year, spending will likely continue throughout 2026.
The year won’t be without its challenges, however. Experts questioned whether the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which will increase the cost of insurance for about 22 million people and could lead to millions being uninsured, would ultimately harm device sales. The industry will also still have to navigate tariffs — this time, for a full year — as well as any levies that come from the lingering Section 232 investigation.
Amid all this, industry groups and the Food and Drug Administration have begun negotiations for the next Medical Device User Fee Amendments, or MDUFA. While the negotiations are still in the early days, there is plenty to watch out for as industry and FDA officials come to the table to hash out an agreement. Some experts said MDUFA VI could head to Congress for authorization as early as this year.
Finally, surgical robotics was once again flagged as a trend to watch as smaller companies and large competitors like Medtronic attempt to take on Intuitive Surgical, which has dominated the market for decades. Other exciting topics in the space include how smaller companies will differentiate their systems from Intuitive’s da Vinci robot and Intuitive’s new push into cardiac procedures.
Read on for MedTech Dive’s collection of stories that look at the biggest trends and topics to watch this year in the medical device industry:
