Japanese government will cover TransEnterix robot-assisted surgeries

August 1, 2019 By Nancy Crotti

Japanese health and welfare officials agreed to reimburse healthcare providers for procedures using the TransEnterix (NYSE:TRXC) Senhance robot-assisted surgery device, the company said today.

The reimbursement, which became effective yesterday, applies to 98 benign and malignant laparoscopic procedures across general, colorectal, gynecologic, bariatric and urologic surgeries. The reimbursement rates are equivalent to those provided in Japan for traditional laparoscopy, according to the company. The Senhance received regulatory approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor & Welfare in May.

“We are extremely pleased to have obtained reimbursement in Japan, which represents another critical milestone as we work to drive adoption of the Senhance globally,” said TransEnterix president & CEO Todd Pope in a news release. “We view Japan as a significant opportunity as it is the world’s second-largest surgical robotics market, and we will continue to work to put our commercial infrastructure in place to support a successful commercial launch.”

Earlier this year, TransEnterix won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for an ultrasonic instrument set for Senhance for soft tissue ligation and dissection, after winning CE Mark approval in the European Union for Senhance Ultrasound last year. Last November, TransEnterix closed the $33 million buyout of surgery planning software maker Medical Surgery Technologies.

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