Dive Brief:
- Noah Medical said its surgical robot for diagnosing lung cancer demonstrated it could successfully navigate to peripheral pulmonary nodules in its first-in-human trial.
- The study, dubbed FRONTIER, targeted 19 nodules using the company’s Galaxy robotic system. Preliminary results, presented at the American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology meeting in Chicago, showed 100% successful navigation, 100% tool-in-lesion confirmation and a diagnostic yield between 89.5% and 94.7%, according to Noah Medical. Patient follow-up will determine the final yield data.
- The early findings on the lung biopsy system “exceeded our expectations in the trial, forming the basis for successful commercialization of this transformational technology,” co-principal investigator Tajalli Saghaie said Wednesday in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Noah Medical received FDA clearance for the Galaxy robot in March, creating fresh competition for robotic surgery powerhouse Intuitive Surgical.
Intuitive sells the Ion platform for minimally invasive collection of potentially cancerous lung tissue samples. Both systems are designed to reach lesions in peripheral segments of the lung, which can be challenging to access.
Noah’s imaging technology provides real-time location updates throughout the procedure, while its bronchoscope, with four-way articulation, can navigate to the most peripheral lesions, according to the company.
Looking to set itself apart, Noah said its Galaxy platform is the only robot-navigated system on the market with a single-use disposable bronchoscope to reduce the risk of cross-contamination in patients.
“The ability to accurately and safely navigate to and biopsy lung nodules with complete confidence is a gamechanger for pulmonologists in the fight against cancer,” Saghaie said.
Interventional pulmonologists at Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney, Australia, conducted Noah’s clinical trial. The company said it will also demonstrate the Galaxy robot at the American College of Chest Physicians meeting in October in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The San Carlos, California-based startup is the target of a lawsuit by Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries claiming Noah employees, including founder and CEO Jian Zhang, misappropriated trade secrets while working at Auris Health. J&J acquired Auris in 2019 for $3.4 billion in cash plus $2.35 billion in potential milestone payments.
Earlier this year, J&J said it would lay off about 350 people at its Auris and Verb Surgical robotic surgery units.