Bloomberg reports today that Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) intends to take its Linx reflux management system off the market outside the U.S. (OUS).
The report said that J&J — one of the largest medtech companies in the world — issued a letter to doctors dated Sept. 17. In that letter, the company said it intends to stop sales of the Linx system in OUS markets at the end of March 2026.
According to Bloomberg, the company elected to pull the device from the market based on a commercial decision. The report states that the withdrawal is unrelated to the device’s safety or efficacy.
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Linx, a flexible ring of small magnets, is placed around the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle. It helps prevent acid reflux and proved successful in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients with and without Barrett’s esophagus (BE). Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit acquired Torax and the Linx system for an unspecified amount in March 2017.
The system provides an alternative to medications that control or suppress acid production in the stomach to treat GERD. According to Ethicon, these medications fail to address the mechanical cause of GERD — a weak LES muscle. J&J announced just over a year ago that the FDA expanded Linx’s labeling in the U.S.
A surgeon quoted by Bloomberg called the device “a default procedure,” while the report states that the withdrawal leaves the OUS market without a direct replacement.
