By Jof Enriquez – August 5, 2016
Mazor Robotics and Medtronic are gearing up for the launch of the robotic spine surgery platform Mazor X as part of their multi-phase deal.
Ori Hadomi, CEO of Mazor, told analysts that the company by late August will start educating Medtronic sales reps at training centers on Mazor X, which is slated for commercial launch this October at the Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society. During this ramp-up period, Medtronic will be focused on generating demand and interest from surgeons and hospitals, while Mazor will build it client list and take responsibility for closing sales. The Mazor X launch is part of the first phase of the agreement signed by the two companies in May, which includes milestones and conditions.
In the second phase in 2018, Medtronic will assume exclusive global sales and distribution rights for the Mazor X, specifically for the spine (but not brain) market. It will up its stake in Mazor to 10 percent and target annual quotas, with a cumulative potential of hundreds of Mazor X systems by 2021.
Medtronic already has ordered 15 Mazor X systems to be delivered during the second half of 2016. Five robots will be placed in unspecified facilities while 10 will be installed in leading clinical centers, according to Hadomi.
Unveiled in mid-July, the Mazor X platform includes pre-operative analytics to help surgeons plan their operations, intra-operative guidance with robotically placed tools, real-time 3D verification through proprietary fluoroscopy-based technology, and connectivity features, reported MDO.
