J&J reports positive Monarch robotic bronchoscopy data

The Monarch robotic-assisted surgery system. | Source: Johnson & Johnson MedTech

Johnson & Johnson MedTech last week announced results from a study of its Monarch platform for robotic bronchoscopy procedures.

Results from the TARGET study showed that clinicians could reach small and peripherally located lung nodules in more than 98% of cases with Monarch. They also biopsied those nodules with a safety profile compared with non-robotic bronchoscopy procedures. Investigators published findings in the journal CHEST.

TARGET looked at 679 patients across 21 global sites in the U.S., Canada, and Hong Kong, said Johnson & Johnson MedTech. The study aimed to measure safety, navigation success, and diagnostic yield across a broad range of patients in a real-world setting. Investigators reported reaching the lesion with Monarch in 98.7% of cases and a diagnostic yield of 83.2%.

Monarch demonstrates value of robot-assisted procedures

The investigators said they also learned about variables significantly associated with higher diagnostic yield. Those include a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/emphysema and the presence of a bronchus sign.

Dr. Faisal Khan, medical director of interventional pulmonary and endoscopy at Franciscan Health Indianapolis, said the results “can help raise awareness of robotic-assisted bronchoscopy as a safe, effective option.” He said it could raise the standard of care for patients.

Monarch enables the use of minimally invasive, robotic-assisted technology for peripheral lung procedures. This could improve the ability to access small, hard-to-reach peripheral lung nodules at an earlier stage and with greater precision.

“Johnson & Johnson is committed to generating evidence that demonstrates the safety and efficacy of our products and advances innovation in areas with significant unmet needs,” said Dr. Ray Fryrear, vice president of scientific affairs for robotics and digital at Johnson & Johnson MedTech. “As the pioneers in the field of robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, we are committed to evolving its potential to change the way clinicians diagnose and treat lung cancer.”

Johnson & Johnson works to bring OTTAVA to the market

Monarch isn’t the only robotic surgical system Johnson & Johnson is developing. In April, the company announced that it had completed the first cases in the clinical trial for its OTTAVA Robotic Surgical System. The cases mark the first clinical experience with the OTTAVA System, it said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted OTTAVA an investigational device exemption in late 2024. Johnson & Johnson MedTech said it designed the system to advance clinical innovation in general surgery, a significant part of its broader surgery business.

Johnson & Johnson MedTech is a unit of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which has more than 100 years of experience in medicine and surgical technology. The company said its portfolio includes robotics, wound closure, adjunctive hemostats, surgical stapling and instruments, and digital systems.

Johnson & Johnson MedTech first shared details about OTTAVA about four years ago. Since then, it has been relatively quiet. In October 2021, the company pushed back the platform’s development timeline by about two years, citing multiple factors.

Editor’s note: This article was syndicated from The Robot Report sibling site MassDevice.