Magnendo Awarded Up to $32M by ARPA-H to Advance Autonomous Robotic Stroke Intervention
NEWTON, Mass. — Magnendo Corp., an MIT spinout developing magnetic robotic navigation technology for endovascular intervention, announced it has been selected for an award of up to $32 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) under its Autonomous Interventions and Robotics (AIR) program. The federal award supports development of magnetic robotic navigation technology designed to overcome the physical barriers limiting endovascular navigation and pave the way for autonomous endovascular interventions.
In the United States, hundreds of thousands of patients suffer ischemic strokes caused by large vessel occlusions each year, yet only a small fraction receive mechanical thrombectomy because the procedure requires highly specialized expertise available at relatively few hospitals. Even for experienced physicians, navigating guidewires and catheters through complex vascular anatomy remains technically demanding and time-consuming — and the tortuous anatomy commonly seen in stroke patients can substantially prolong target access, delaying time-critical treatment.
The AIR program, led by ARPA-H Program Manager Ileana Hancu, Ph.D., aims to catalyze the development of autonomous robotic systems capable of performing endovascular stroke interventions with progressively less direct human input. Its long-term vision is to expand patient access to advanced stroke care by reducing dependence on highly specialized expertise and enabling advanced procedures to be performed more consistently across a broader range of hospitals.
Hundreds of thousands of people who suffer large vessel occlusions each year do not get thrombectomies, the standard of care for this type of strokes. While these patients now live too far from a hospital that can provide care, AIR will bring care to the nearest hospital, saving patient years of disability and the healthcare system billions of dollars.
— Ileana Hancu, Ph.D., ARPA-H Program Manager
Magnendo has demonstrated preclinical results showing substantial improvements in navigation speed and procedural consistency across physicians with varying levels of experience. Building on those results, the five-year program will support development of the company's next-generation magnetic robotic navigation platform designed to enable autonomous endovascular intervention.
Through the program, Magnendo will advance the core technologies required for autonomous navigation while working with leading academic, clinical, and industry collaborators to integrate robotics, medical imaging, artificial intelligence, and other enabling technologies into a unified platform — establishing the technical and clinical framework for future autonomous endovascular procedures.
We believe autonomy will become the next major paradigm shift in endovascular intervention. However, autonomy cannot simply be achieved by robotizing today's manual procedures. It requires a fundamentally different approach to navigating complex vascular anatomy, and we believe our magnetic robotic navigation is a critical enabling technology for autonomous endovascular intervention. We are honored that ARPA-H has selected Magnendo and our outstanding collaborators to help advance this vision.
— Yoonho Kim, Ph.D., Founder, CEO, and Principal Investigator of the AIR program at Magnendo
The AIR program provides a unique opportunity to bring together world-class expertise from leading academic institutions, medical centers, and industry around a shared vision. Developing an autonomous robotic system requires seamless integration of technologies that have traditionally evolved independently. Our focus is on integrating these complementary technologies into a robust, clinically relevant platform that brings autonomous endovascular intervention closer to clinical practice.
— Miki Rosenberg, Co-founder, Chief Development Officer, and Project Director of the AIR program at Magnendo
About Magnendo
Magnendo Corp. is an MIT spinout developing magnetic robotic navigation technology for endovascular intervention. By combining magnetically steerable guidewires with advanced robotics, medical imaging, and intelligent navigation software, Magnendo aims to help physicians reach the treatment site faster, more reliably, and with greater consistency. Its mission is to make life-saving endovascular procedures faster, safer, and more accessible for every patient.