Onkos' limb salvage system for musculoskeletal cancers earns FDA nod

The FDA cleared Onkos Surgical’s limb salvage system for the treatment of patients who have suffered bone loss from cancer, trauma or previous surgeries.

Founded in 2015, Onkos is a relative newcomer with a mission to transform surgical oncology. It aims to create products and services based on personalized medicine 3-D printing for patients with musculoskeletal tumors.

"Surgical Oncology has been an underserved market for some time," said CEO Patrick Treacy, in a statement. " … With the introduction of the ELEOS Limb Salvage System, we will continue to build on our promise of delivering meaningful innovation in the orthopedic oncology market.

"Tumor surgery is often personalized as each patient presents differently. When replacing bone with an implant, ELEOS provides the flexibility and modularity a surgeon needs for these complex cases," said Dr. Steven Gitelis, a professor and vice chairman at Rush University Medical Center's Department of Orthopedic Surgery and an Onkos Surgical Surgeon Advisory Board member, in the statement. "The ELEOS system is a long-term reconstructive option for oncology patients. Our patient population is unique and we need a company like Onkos to provide innovation where we have our most challenging need."

In 2015, Onkos reeled in the first $6.1 million of a Series A financing and snagged a partnership with MicroPort Orthopedics, which gave it access to MicroPort’s stable of segmental prostheses. These include the Repiphysis expandable prosthesis tech for patients with bone cancer. It is particularly useful in children, where the implant may be expanded as the child grows, without requiring further surgery.

Earlier this year, Onkos tied up with Vivex Biomedical, adding a number of hard and soft tissue biologics to its offerings. “[Vivex’s] dedication to developing regenerative therapies is a wonderful complement to Onkos Surgical's focus on the needs of the surgeons and caregivers who dedicate their lives to the surgical treatment of cancer,” Treacy said at the time.