Johnson and Johnson has made a bid to purchase the privately-held company NeuWave Medical (based in Madison, WI, U.S.) The amount offered for the medical technology company has not been disclosed.
NeuWave work in an emerging medical field and the company produces minimally invasive soft-tissue microwave ablation technology. This technology is designed for a range of surgical applications, the most important being the removal of soft tissue growth. Here the use would be with oncology.
The device produces microwave energy, concentrated though a tip on the instrument and this causes water molecules in a lesion to oscillate. This produces heat to the cancer cells, and destroys them. This technology was developed at the University of Wisconsin.
Johnson and Johnson is interested in the technology because microwave medical technology can help reduce healthcare costs and reduce the risks associated with surgery, by virtue of being a non-invasive method (meaning the risks of the surgeon’s knife cutting through is no longer present.)
Examples of the application of such technology include reducing the size of tumors in the lungs, liver, kidneys, and bones. The device can be used in conjunction with other anti-cancer methods, like chemotherapy.
If the purchase goes through, NeuWave will become part of the Johnson and Johnson subsidiary company Ethicon. Developments to date have largely been funded by venture capital. In a statement, published by QMed, Chief Executive of NeuWave – Dan Sullivan – said he hopes the acquisition will help with development and assist with production.
Michael del Prado, Group Company Chairman of Ethicon added: “We continue to work to push the boundaries of access and treatment for patients for whom traditional surgery may not be an option today… technology and expertise that NeuWave Medical has developed is minimally invasive and can be combined with other therapies to improve outcomes for patients.”
In related news, Johnson and Johnson is also working with Google’s life science to develop robotic surgical technology.
