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ZAP Surgical developed ZAP-X to effectively treat brain tumors, lesions and other head and neck conditions. | Source: ZAP Surgical Systems
ZAP Surgical Systems Inc. said this week that it had successfully closed a $78 million Series E funding round. The developer of non-invasive tools for robotic brain surgery said the new funding will accelerate the commercialization of its ZAP-X gyroscopic radiosurgery platform.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a well-established procedure for the noninvasive treatment of many brain tumors including brain metastases, meningiomas, and other intracranial disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia. According to ZAP Surgical, SRS is considered an alternative to open surgery for these indications and is an outpatient procedure provided in one to five short treatments.
However, compared to open surgery, the SRS procedure has been shown to provide equivalent to better results, according to the San Carlos, Calif.-based company. It requires no surgical incision, causes no pain, and usually requires little to no recovery time for the patient, he added.
“We founded ZAP Surgical to address a clear need: to allow more patients access to state-of-the-art radiosurgery without the prohibitive costs and infrastructure requirements that limit so many providers,” said John R. Adler, MD, professor emeritus of neurosurgery. at Stanford University, as well as the founder and CEO of ZAP Surgical Systems.
ZAP-X promises to extend care
Each year, more than 5 million patients worldwide could benefit from stereotactic radiosurgery, ZAP Surgical Systems estimates. However, due to the cost and complexity of older technologies, only about 200,000 patients receive optimal SRS care.
With availability concentrated primarily among the city’s largest academic hospitals, world-class radiosurgery has remained out of reach for an estimated 96% of patients who could benefit, the company said.
ZAP Surgical has developed the ZAP-X platform, a specialized non-invasive cranial radiosurgery system that incorporates advanced gyroscopic technology. Its movement allows the radiosurgery beams to be directed from thousands of potential angles to precisely target the tumor.
The company said its approach prioritizes protecting healthy brain tissue and aims to preserve the patient’s cognitive function. In addition, he said the vault-free, cobalt-free design of ZAP-X eliminates the need for expensive shielded treatment rooms and removes the traditional requirement to manage, secure and replace radioactive isotopes to produce radiation beams.
Baheal Medical cooperates with ZAP Surgical
Qingdao Baheal Medical Inc. led the ZAP Surgical Series E round, which also included the participation of other strategic investors. Baheal Medical is a leading healthcare company in China.
“This partnership with Baheal Medical aligns perfectly with our mission and provides ZAP-X with a powerful platform to reach millions of underserved patients around the world,” said Adler.
“We are pleased to partner with ZAP Surgical to expand access to state-of-the-art radiosurgery technology,” added Fu Gang, Chairman and President of Baheal Medical. “ZAP-X’s innovative approach is in line with our commitment to providing advanced healthcare solutions that address pressing clinical needs. Together, we are ready to advance the treatment of brain tumors and other intracranial diseases and provide more precise alternatives that significantly increase the quality of life of patients.”
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