MedTech industry slams Netflix “The Bleeding Edge” as entertainment

The Netflix film 'The Bleeding Edge' does a disservice to the tens of millions of patients worldwide who benefit from the life-saving and life changing medical technology (MedTech).

The peak industry body in the United States, the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) called it a “biased and uninformed presentation that we fear could needlessly cause patients to forego what could be life-saving procedures.

We understand the producers contacted MedTech companies just weeks before the film was completed after more than one year of work on the project, showing the bias agenda the film-maker had from day one.

The Australian MedTech industry assists in 2.7 million surgeries every year, underpinning extraordinary reductions in mortality and supporting increased life expectancy.

MedTech allows patients suffering from different medical conditions to hear, to walk, to see, to live or to have a quality of life that they otherwise would not have.

The film paints a false picture of the MedTech industry's commitment to patient safety and the robust safeguards that are in place thanks to rigorous regulators like the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the US Food and Drug Administration.

The Australian regulator, the TGA, is trusted as one of the top regulators internationally (along with FDA). MedTech companies spend enormous amounts of resources testing and evaluating their products before and after receiving TGA approval.

Providing safe and effective products is the top priority for the industry. Sensationalist and unbalanced entertainment is irresponsible and a gross misrepresentation of the dedicated professionals who work in our industry.

Media Contact: 02 9900 0600 | media@mtaa.org.au