Musculoskeletal News Roundup 23-Feb-18

February 23, 2018 | Blake Mossy

M&A

Johnson & Johnson Medical Device Companies entered into an agreement to acquire Orthotaxy, a privately-held developer of software-enabled surgery technologies, including a differentiated robotic-assisted surgery solution. The technology is currently in early-stage development for total and partial knee replacement, the company plans to broaden its application for a range of orthopaedic surgery procedures.

PRODUCT INTRODUCTION & UPDATE

Spine Wave launched its Proficient Posterior Cervical Spine System designed to address complex posterior cervical/thoracic procedures. The system includes a tri-lobe polyaxial screw design which aims to offer 120 degrees of angulation. The system’s translation screw provides medial-to-lateral translation to facilitate improved rod placement in posterior cervical-thoracic fixation procedures.

CLINICAL

Bone Therapeutics announced the completion of enrollment in its Phase IIA study of ALLOB allogeneic bone-cell therapy in lumbar spinal fusion.  The study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the addition of ALLOB, in which an interbody cage with bioceramic granules is implanted to achieve fusion of the lumbar vertebrae.

Nexxt Spine announced 250 implantations of its 3D-printed porous titanium NEXXT MATRIXX intebody system, which is comprised of cervical and lumbar interbody and vertebral body replacement devices. The implants are based on the company’s proprietary residue-free surface technology with varied porosity titanium architecture.

OrthAlign announced the completion of 75,000 arthroplasty cases utilizing its handheld, sensor-based precision alignment and positioning technology. The company’s KneeAlign aims to provide both tibial and femoral intra-operative navigation in a single-use device. The HipAlign system provides cup navigation and measures changes in leg length.

COLLABORATION

Johnson & Johnson entered into a collaboration agreement with Trinity College Dublin to open a 3D bioprinting research laboratory, initially focusing on orthopedic-related projects. AMBER (Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research), a Science Foundation Ireland-funded center headquartered at the college, is a longstanding partner of DePuy Synthes in Ireland. The laboratory will be comprised of a lab area for working with bioprinting and cell and tissue culture as well as a meeting space for 12 people.