The miniaturized surgical robot maker Virtual Incision has pinched a new CEO, as it aims to expand its commercial reach following an FDA green light last year and plans to develop its next-generation system.
Jim Alecxih most recently served as chief of the artificial intelligence diagnostic software company DH Medical, and has held executive roles at multiple medtechs throughout his career, including at Intuitive Surgical as a U.S. sales VP. He takes over for the company’s long-time president and CEO, John Murphy, who has been named a senior board advisor.
“The opportunity to lead Virtual Incision at this pivotal time is an extraordinary honor,” Alecxih said in a statement. “I believe deeply in the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery to both patients, surgeons and hospitals.”
The freshly minted Fierce Medtech Fierce 15 winner claimed a de novo clearance in February 2024 for its MIRA robot, a two-pound device that delivers two remote-controlled arms and a camera fully inside the abdomen through a single cut in the navel. Virtual Incision believes its approach can bring the benefits of robotics to the vast majority of U.S. operating rooms that aren’t built or equipped for larger hardware installations.
The company has also made strides in demonstrating MIRA’s telesurgery capabilities, with the ability to be operated at a distance both horizontally and vertically—that is, across the country and through remote experiments conducted on the International Space Station.
Now, Virtual Incision is working on MIRA’s successor, the M2, and the company said it is preparing a series of FDA submissions across various surgical specialties. The M2 is a similarly miniaturized, single-port system, aimed at locations that lack access to robotics.
“M2 has the potential to dramatically expand access to robotic-assisted surgery in rural hospitals, [hospital outpatient departments] and [ambulatory surgical center] settings, and around the world,” Alecxih said.