St. Jude Medical made a big splash just before we went to press, announcing plans to acquire cardiac assist device maker Thoratec for $3.4 billion. The company also acquired Spinal Modulation for $215 million this year, and last year closed the deal for what CEO Daniel Starks calls its most important growth driver: the CardioMEMS Champion HF implantable heart monitor.

Abbott and St. Jude Medical, Inc. announced today a definitive agreement for Abbott to acquire St. Jude Medical, creating a premier medical device leader with top positions in high-growth cardiovascular markets. St. Jude Medical received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the company’s proprietary, first-to-market MultiPoint Pacing technology.