Hear Why J&J Medtech Is Ready to Move Forward with Ottava; A VC Discusses the Impact of GLP-1 drugs
Nov 10, 2023
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Rocco De Bernardis, Global President of OTTAVA, discusses J&J MedTech's surgical robotics system, Ottava, and its future in clinical trials. Karthik Bolisetty, senior associate at VC firm Gilde Healthcare, explores the impact of GLP-1 drugs on medical device start-ups. The CEO of Aptyx, Gregg Tobin, talks about their rebranding and the importance of a brand promise. The podcast also touches on manufacturing expertise, advancements in the TAVA surgical system, and upcoming episodes in the DeviceTalks network.
The Ottava system is a unique robotic surgical system that incorporates robotic arms into the operating table, providing more space, collaboration, and flexibility in surgical procedures.
The team at Ottava believes that their system's unique architecture, ease of use, and integration with existing surgical instruments can drive broader adoption of robotic-assisted surgeries and improve patient outcomes.
Ottava aims to leverage digital advancements and data to enhance surgical outcomes, while also focusing on expanding their presence globally and collaborating with other companies in the surgical robotics space.
Deep dives
The Otava System: A Unique Architecture
The Otava system is a one-of-a-kind robotic surgical system with a unique architecture. Unlike traditional systems, the Otava system incorporates robotic arms into the operating table, eliminating the need for separate cards or booms. The system includes a console for the surgeon to teleoperate the arms and a tower that serves as the brain of the system. This unified architecture provides more space in the operating room, allows for easier collaboration and movement, and offers flexibility in surgical procedures.
Development of the Otava System
Over the past few years, the Otava team has focused on growing the team and engaging with surgeons to gather feedback. The team has been working on refining the system's design, ensuring it meets surgeons' needs, and addressing challenges in the surgical robotics market. While the team has been relatively quiet during this period, they have recently announced their intention to submit a request for US clinical trials in the second half of 2024.
Challenges and Potential of Surgical Robotics
Despite the growing interest in surgical robotics, the adoption rate is still relatively low, with only 5% of surgeries using robotic systems. Some factors contributing to this slow adoption include cost concerns, the need for training and skill development, and the limited accessibility of robotic systems in hospitals. However, the team at Otava believes that their system's unique architecture, ease of use, and integration with existing surgical instruments can help drive broader adoption of robotic-assisted surgeries and improve patient outcomes.
Benefits for Surgeons and Future of Digital Surgery
The Otava system offers several benefits for surgeons, such as improved accessibility during procedures, easier movement of patients, and consistency of experiences across different surgical modalities. Additionally, the system is digitally connected, providing access to data and insights that can support better treatment for patients. Otava aims to leverage digital advancements and unlock the power of data to drive better surgical outcomes.
Future Plans and Expansion
The Otava team is focused on advancing their system, submitting requests for US clinical trials, and expanding their presence globally. They plan to continue engaging with surgeons, refining the system's capabilities, and exploring opportunities for collaboration with other companies in the surgical robotics space. While their immediate focus is on the US market, they recognize the need for a global presence and plan to expand beyond the US in the future.
In this week’s episode we’ll speak with Rocco De Bernardis, Global President of OTTAVA, Johnson & Johnson MedTech. This week, J&J MedTech announced it was filing an IDE to begin clinical trials on its surgical robotics system, Ottava, in 2024. But what does this mean? What does Ottava look like? Why does J&J MedTech think it has what it takes to win over surgeons? And what does the future look like for the company’s surgical robotics platform?
Co-hosts Tom Salemi and Chris Newmarker also chat with Karthik Bolisetty, senior associate at VC firm Gilde Healthcare, about the impact GLP-1 drugs could have on medical device start-ups. How does Gilde see the weight loss drugs impacting its portfolio and future investments?
Finally, Gregg Tobin, CEO of Aptyx, our episode sponsor, talks about how the company’s new name better reflects its capabilities. Go to Aptyx.com for more information.
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