It took Meril two years to develop MISSO, which it now plans to introduce to overseas markets in Asia, the EU, and potentially the US | Photo: X@MerilLife3 min read Last Updated : Jun 20 2024 | 8:02 AM ISTMeril, a Gujarat-based medical devices company, has launched an indigenously developed surgical robotic system named MISSO for knee replacement surgeries.

The price of MISSO is 66 per cent lower than that of existing products from multinational companies.

Meril aims to sell approximately 100 such robotic systems in the first year and expects to increase sales to around 1000 units within three years. The company claims that at Rs 2 crore, MISSO is priced around 66 per cent lower than other robotic knee replacement systems available in the Indian market.

Speaking to Business Standard, Manish Deshmukh, head of Marketing (India - Global) at Meril, said that currently, there are about 200 knee replacement robotic systems installed across various hospitals in India. Deshmukh believes there is significant potential for such precision surgical technologies in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, which Meril can tap into due to its cost advantage.

Although the number of knee replacement surgeries has been increasing in recent years, demand still exceeds supply.

It is estimated that there are around 550,000 knee replacement surgeries performed annually, while approximately 3.2 million patients require this surgery. It took Meril two years to develop MISSO, which it now plans to introduce to overseas markets in Asia, the EU, and potentially the US.

Additionally, there are plans to launch more applications for hip or spine surgeries using the same platform.

"Every few months, we aim to introduce more applications for MISSO," Deshmukh stated. Meril has already achieved success in the orthopaedic implants market, claiming a 45 per cent market share.

Annual orthopaedic implant sales are estimated to be between Rs 2300-2400 crore, with Meril generating Rs 1,000 crore in turnover from orthopaedic implants alone. The integration of AI into this system has reduced pre-operative planning time by 83 per cent and improved personalisation.

The use of robotic technology has also contributed to a success rate of approximately 98 percent for knee replacement surgery. Total knee replacement (TKR) is a surgical procedure involving the replacement of a damaged or worn-out knee joint with an artificial joint made of metal and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

This surgery is necessary for patients suffering from severe osteoarthritis, a condition prevalent in India affecting approximately 22 to 39 percent of the population. "The prevalence of osteoarthritis has increased from around 23 million to 62 million in the last 20-25 years, making it the second-largest disease modality after cardiovascular conditions.

The gap between the need for and adoption of knee replacement surgery could be more efficiently addressed with the widespread use of robotic surgery," Deshmukh said.

Currently, affordability remains a challenge for robotic surgery procedures in India. "Hospitals are also reluctant to invest in imported robotic systems due to the training required for surgeons and operating theatre staff, as well as the extended service-related turnaround time.

With MISSO, we aim to address these challenges by providing an indigenous platform along with a comprehensive training and support ecosystem, thereby making robotic surgery accessible not only in metros but also in tier-2 and tier-3 cities," he added.First Published: Jun 20 2024 | 8:02 AMIST