The robotics acquisitions continue as the industry matures. ZDNet reports that consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson is scooping up surgical robotics firm Auris Health for $3.4 billion, with $2+ billion to follow in milestone payments.
Auris Health’s R&D has largely been concealed from the public, although the Monarch platform, an endoscope for use in lung biopsies, received FDA approval last year, the outlet explains. “That bot is part of a class of flexible robots that avoid cutting patients by using the body's natural openings--the mouth, in the case of the Monarch,” says ZDNet.
Auris Health founder Frederic Moll is a serial entrepreneur in this space, including Hansen Medical, which makes tools for catheters, as well as two-decades old Intuitive Surgical, now worth over $60 billion and known for its breakthrough surgical robot, the Da Vinci.
“In this new era of health care, we’re aiming to simplify surgery, drive efficiency, reduce complications and improve outcomes for patients, ultimately making surgery safer. We believe the combination of best-in-class robotics, advanced instrumentation and unparalleled end-to-end connectivity will make a meaningful difference in patient outcomes.”
“In this new era of health care, we’re aiming to simplify surgery, drive efficiency, reduce complications and improve outcomes for patients, ultimately making surgery safer,” Ashley McEvoy, executive vice president, worldwide chairman, Medical Devices, Johnson & Johnson, said in a statement. “We believe the combination of best-in-class robotics, advanced instrumentation and unparalleled end-to-end connectivity will make a meaningful difference in patient outcomes.”
“We’re thrilled to be joining Johnson & Johnson to help push the boundaries of what is possible in medical robotics and improve the lives of patients across the globe. Together, we will be able to dramatically accelerate our collective product innovation to develop new interventional solutions that redefine optimal patient outcomes,” said Dr. Moll, who will be joining J&J, in a statement.
“This combination is a testament to the incredible work of the Auris Health team and the innovation engine behind the Monarch Platform, which represents a huge step forward in endoluminal technology. We look forward to continuing to shape the future of intervention with the added expertise and resources of the world’s largest healthcare organization.”