Think Surgical, United Orthopedic join forces for global sales

Think Surgical and United Orthopedic have announced a global joint marketing agreement of Think’s Active robotic system and United’s U2 knee system.

Think’s Active robotic system consists of a 3D pre-surgical planning workstation and its computer-assisted Active robot. Its use in total knee arthroplasty is the subject of an FDA investigational device exemption study, with clearance anticipated in 2019. The system’s core technology has been used in thousands of total hip and knee replacements worldwide, according to Fremont, Calif.-based Think.

United (Irvine, Calif.) will serve as Think’s exclusive distributor in Taiwan and designate Taiwan as a “center of excellence” for their combined platforms. The companies plan to explore cooperative development of implants specifically designed for Active robotic surgeries to offer an alternative to currently available total joint replacement procedures. The U2 knee system has been commercially available in the United States since 2006 and has been implanted in more than 140,000 surgical cases in 39 countries.

“By combining Think’s Active robotic system and United’s U2 knee system, we believe we will be able to offer unparalleled precision and have the potential to minimize opportunities for error, all while helping to ensure procedures are executed as close to their design as possible,” said United CEO Jason Lin in a prepared statement. “By working together, in time we may be able to offer a solution that reduces healthcare costs and improves outcomes for total knee replacement patients.”

“Combined with United’s quarter-century reputation as a reliable manufacturer in the medical device space, we believe that Think’s expertise in robotic technologies will allow us to potentially offer surgeons a more precise experience in total joint replacement surgery,” added Think president & CEO John Hahn.

Think Surgical last week reported a funding round worth $134 million for its the TSolution One robot-assisted orthopedic surgery device for knee and hip arthroplasties. TSolution One is cleared in the U.S. and Europe for total hip procedures; in December 2017 the company won CE Mark approval for a total knee indication and is running a U.S. investigation device exemption study seeking an FDA nod.

The companies made the announcement at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) meeting in Las Vegas.

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