NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 22, 2026--
Johnson & Johnson today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted De Novo authorization for the OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System, the world’s first table-integrated soft tissue robotic system. The system received marketing authorization for multiple procedures in general surgery, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, gastrectomy, cholecystectomy, splenectomy, gastric sleeve, small bowel resection, appendectomy, lysis of adhesions, fundoplication, and hiatal hernia repair.
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“We are pioneering a new category of surgical robotics with OTTAVA,” said Tim Schmid, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Chairman, MedTech, Johnson & Johnson. “This is the start of the next era in surgery as we deliver not just a new surgical robotics system, but a catalyst for fundamentally better surgical care that is informed by technology, guided by clinical insight, and delivered with care by Johnson & Johnson.”
Johnson & Johnson will commercially launch the OTTAVA system with select customers in the U.S., focusing on early customer success while working in parallel to advance into additional indications and regulatory jurisdictions over time. A U.S. clinical trial for OTTAVA in inguinal hernia procedures is ongoing.
A system built differently for what’s next
OTTAVA is purpose-built to advance surgery today and where it goes next. Its unique architecture, automated features, next-generation robotic surgical instruments, and connection to an open digital ecosystem create a foundation to fit seamlessly into operating rooms today – and support more digitally enabled, data-driven surgery in the future.
“Surgical robotics will play an increasingly important role in surgical care, but it’s clear that what defined the last 25 years of surgery will not define the next 25,” said Hani Abouhalka, Company Group Chair, Surgery, MedTech, Johnson & Johnson. “By opening up the way we think about architecture, data, and the very workflows of surgery itself, we have designed OTTAVA to deliver clinical and economic benefits and support surgeons and hospitals as the future of surgery unfolds.”
Designed to expand what’s possible in the OR
Hospitals and clinical teams are leading efforts to advance surgical care while balancing the realities of infrastructure, OR efficiency, data access, and a growing demand for robotic-assisted surgery. OTTAVA is designed to complement these efforts, with features intended to help enhance OR capacity, streamline clinical workflows, improve visibility into surgical data, and support broader access to robotic-assisted surgical care. First-generation system features include:
“Variability of surgical outcomes remains a challenge in healthcare,” said Peter Schulam, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, MedTech, Johnson & Johnson. “While surgical robotics has helped augment surgical skill, the next generation of care must also integrate data and insights across the surgical ecosystem to support surgeon judgement and help improve patient outcomes. OTTAVA was designed with that connectivity in mind.”
Learn more about the OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System online: https://ottava.jnjmedtech.com/
Investor Conference Call
Johnson and Johnson will host a conference call for investors at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on August 3, 2026, to discuss the announcement. Investors and other interested parties can access the conference call in the following ways:
About Surgical Solutions from Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Across Johnson & Johnson, we are tackling the world’s most complex and pervasive health challenges. For over 100 years, we have helped advance surgical care through our innovative portfolio across wound closure, adjunctive hemostats, surgical stapling and instruments, robotics and digital solutions. Together, with clinicians and healthcare experts around the world we are progressing what’s next in surgery to better solve patient needs in metabolic and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and aesthetics and reconstruction. For more, visit https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-US/.
*Based on an evaluation of systems available as of September 2025
**Cutting performance was evaluated by observing for deviations or defects after 900 cold and 2,460 hot cuts
About Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more about our MedTech sector’s global scale and deep expertise in cardiovascular, orthopaedics, surgery and vision solutions at https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-US/. Follow us at @JNJMedTech and on LinkedIn.
Ethicon, Inc. is a Johnson & Johnson company.
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 related to the OTTAVA Robotic Surgical System. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns or financial distress of purchasers of health care products and services; and global health care reforms and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in Johnson & Johnson’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov,www.jnj.com,www.investor.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.
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© Johnson & Johnson and its affiliates 2026.
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Johnson & Johnson Receives FDA Market Authorization in the U.S. for its OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System
Johnson & Johnson Receives FDA Market Authorization in the U.S. for its OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine pushed on with its fight against Russia’s invasion under new military leadership Wednesday, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bowed to public pressure and fired his commander-in-chief.
Ukraine has made significant progress in the war this year, and a rift between the country’s outgoing army chief and its defense minister threatened to derail its efforts. Both men lost their jobs following Zelenskyy’s major government reshuffle last week.
The top-level changes late Tuesday were intended to draw a line under an unwelcome spasm of political turmoil that lasted almost a week and prompted rejoicing in Russia. It was not clear whether Zelenskyy's measures would achieve that goal.
The new army chief, 43-year-old Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, belongs to a new generation of Ukrainian generals who have come up through the ranks during the battle against Russian aggression. He became known for his daring and courage in 2014, the year that Russia seized and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula — eight years before Moscow's all-out invasion.
Zelenskyy said Drapatyi and other commanders must present an updated defense strategy, including continued reform of the corps system, faster weapon and drone deliveries, stronger air defense against Russian strikes and a clearer mobilization plan.
There is no sign that the two countries are any closer to a peace settlement, despite U.S.-led diplomatic efforts.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow is sticking to its previous demands. They include Kyiv withdrawing its forces from the four eastern regions that Russia has seized but doesn’t fully control, renouncing any aspirations to NATO membership and sharply cutting the size of its army.
Peskov told reporters that the Ukrainian political and military changes reflect strains in Kyiv.
“Kyiv’s regime is trembling from within. It can be seen with the naked eye,” Peskov said.
Nor will the top-level alterations change the front line, he told reporters, claiming that Russian forces are on the offensive.
With the war’s roughly 1,250-kilometer (800-mile) front line mostly off-limits to independent observers, Russia and Ukraine have also engaged in a propaganda battle.
Zelenskyy met separately Tuesday with outgoing defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech-savvy entrepreneur credited with swiftly developing Ukraine’s drone technology that has given it a battlefield edge.
Fedorov locked horns with outgoing commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, a 60-year-old veteran trained in the Soviet Union before Ukraine’s independence.
Street protests in Kyiv and other cities demanded Fedorov’s return, viewing him as a key military modernizer, and urged Zelenskyy to fire Syrskyi, regarded as part of the old guard.
The demonstrations looked set to continue on Friday, despite Syrskyi's exit.
“It is good that the dialogue is working. At the same time, we should not forget the protesters’ second demand — to reinstate Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister,” Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a veteran and former combat medic who has emerged as an informal voice of the protests, wrote on Threads.
Zelenskyy offered Fedorov what he called a respected position in the government that would unify the country’s technology sector. It wasn’t clear if Fedorov accepted the offer -- or whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters and calm the streets.
Fedorov said after his dismissal last week that he had been offered jobs by some global defense tech companies.
Fedorov supported Drapatyi's appointment, calling it a “new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice” and “a voice for change that could not go unheard.”
Fedorov had criticized Syrskyi publicly before his dismissal, saying the general was blocking his reform efforts and needed to be replaced for Ukraine not to fail in its resistance against Russia.
Syrskyi defended his wartime record in a statement Wednesday.
Among other things, he claimed Ukrainian forces had clawed back 743 square kilometers (287 square miles) of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory this year and said he was handing his successor an army that was not only defending but also conducting offensive operations.
It was not possible to independently verify his claim.
Fedorov called Syrskyi to thank him for his military triumphs, including defending the Kyiv region at the time of Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion, the Kharkiv counteroffensive operation later that year and other battles, calling them “already an important part of Ukraine’s history.” But he added that the country must “move even faster and write new chapters, correcting all previous mistakes.”
The political crisis began last Thursday, when Zelenskyy overhauled his wartime government, replacing his prime minister and firing Fedorov after just six months in the post.
The reshuffle immediately drew thousands of protesters into the streets of Kyiv and other cities, framing Fedorov’s removal as Zelenskyy siding with an entrenched military old guard over a reformer.
Zelenskyy said Wednesday that he’s also appointing Maj. Gen. Ihor Skybiuk as chief of the General Staff as part of the overhaul.
The political maneuvers took place against a backdrop of continued deadly strikes by Russia and Ukraine on each other's soil.
Ukrainian drones overnight struck two more sprawling warehouses of Russia’s major online retailer, Wildberries, in Russia’s southern regions of Krasnodar and Stavropol, Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim and Russian officials said Wednesday.
The strikes came four days after Ukraine’s long-range drones hit massive Wildberries warehouses in the Moscow region and in the Tambov region, killing eight people and wounding dozens, according to officials.
Zelenskyy said, without naming the facilities, that they were used by Russia to supply sanctioned components for the production of drones and navigation equipment.
Russian attacks, meanwhile, have also struck several major Ukrainian logistics hubs and retail facilities over the past week.
Russia attacked Ukraine with four missiles of various types and 216 long-range strike drones overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to the Ukrainian air force.
In the southern Odesa region, a Russian drone killed a woman when it struck a two-story apartment building, regional military administration head Oleh Kiper said.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, shakes hands with new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
Rescue workers try to put out a fire of a residential building burning after a Russian air guided bomb strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi looks on during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, shakes hands with new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
