Insightec Announces Spin-Out of Lotus Neuro to Advance Focused Ultrasound Brain Therapies

Lotus Neuro builds on Insightec's groundbreaking focused ultrasound platform to accelerate next-generation brain therapies globally, with funding from Nexus NeuroTech Ventures.

MIAMI and HAIFA, Israel, Dec. 17, 2025 /CNW/ -- Insightec, a global healthcare innovator pioneering the use of focused ultrasound to transform patient care, today announced the spin-out and launch of Lotus Neuro, a new clinical stage biotechnology company advancing the next generation of brain‑targeted therapeutics through precision, low frequency focused ultrasound. This launch marks a pivotal evolution in brain medicine, bringing together Insightec's world‑leading device technology and Lotus Neuro's biotech innovation model to accelerate drug delivery across the blood‑brain barrier (BBB).

Insightec's focused ultrasound platform has reached a pivotal inflection point: validated safety, global adoption and growing pharmaceutical engagement. The next frontier is the translation and commercialization of pairing ultrasound with advanced medicines, including biologic, genetic and cellular therapies. Lotus Neuro will serve as an innovative engine to drive this translation and development, while Insightec continues advancing its focused ultrasound platform to scale this enabling technology.

"This marks a defining moment in our mission to transform brain health," said Maurice R. Ferré, MD, Chairman and CEO of Insightec. "Insightec will continue expanding the precision ultrasound platform, while Lotus Neuro applies it to new therapeutic frontiers in oncology and neurodegeneration. Together, we are building a complete ecosystem, from device to drug delivery, to change what's possible in neuroscience."

Lotus Neuro will initially focus on clinical neuro‑oncology programs, including glioblastoma and diffuse midline gliomas, while advancing pre-clinical development and partnerships in neurodegeneration. The new company is funded by Nexus NeuroTech Ventures, which is dedicated to advancing technologies targeted directly at or enabling the diagnosis, treatment or management of brain disorders.

Lotus Neuro will be led by Arjun (JJ) Desai, MD, who has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Desai previously served as Chief Strategic Innovation Officer at Insightec since 2018, where he developed and led core functions including global market access, reimbursement, medical affairs and a global research infrastructure leveraging therapeutic delivery with focused ultrasound across multiple neurologic indications and strategic partnerships. Before joining Insightec, Desai was Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Johnson & Johnson Innovation. A physician, Desai completed his medical training at Stanford University, where he served as clinical and bio design faculty.

"Lotus Neuro exists to make effective, brain‑targeted therapies a reality," Desai added. "By uniting the precision of focused ultrasound with the most promising therapeutics, we're opening new pathways for the treatment of complex brain disease. Building on Insightec's global leadership in focused ultrasound, Lotus Neuro is the bridge between technology innovation and therapeutic impact."

Insightec will maintain its leadership in device innovation and commercialization while supporting Lotus Neuro through advanced therapeutics platform integration, scientific collaboration and shared translational data. The two organizations will align around a single mission: making brain‑targeted incisionless therapies accessible to help transform patient care globally.

This initiative builds on Insightec's recent achievements, including indication approvals for staged bilateral treatment of essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and most recently, a multicenter glioblastoma trial published in The Lancet Oncology demonstrating that employing focused ultrasound to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier during standard-of-care chemotherapy resulted in significantly improved overall survival. This major scientific milestone underscores the platform's potential to enhance therapeutic outcomes in brain-targeted treatments.

To date, more than 25,000 patients have been treated with Insightec's Exablate technology for a variety of movement disorder indications at 210 centers worldwide.

About Insightec
Insightec is a global healthcare company creating the next generation of patient care by realizing the therapeutic power of acoustic energy. The company's Exablate Neuro platform focuses sound waves, safely guided by MRI, to provide treatment to patients with medication-refractory essential tremor and Parkinson's disease*. Research for future applications in the neuroscience space is underway in partnership with leading academic and medical institutions. Insightec is headquartered in Haifa, Israel and Miami, with offices in Dallas, Texas; Frankfurt, Germany; Shanghai; and Tokyo.

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About Lotus Neuro
Lotus Neuro is a clinical stage biotechnology company spun out from Insightec to advance brain targeted combination therapeutics using precision, low frequency focused ultrasound. In partnership with Insightec, Lotus Neuro is building the bridge between medical device innovation and therapeutic development to unlock a new era in brain health. Visit lotusneuro.com for more information.

Forward-looking Statements:
This document contains forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, plans, expectations and future events. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the following words: "may," "can," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "promise," "continue," "ongoing," or the negative of these terms. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Insightec as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Insightec are qualified by this caution. Insightec does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Insightec's expectations.

"Exablate," and "Exablate Neuro," as well as the "INSIGHTEC" logo, whether standing alone or in connection with the word "Insightec," are protected trademarks of Insightec.

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SOURCE INSIGHTEC

Insightec Media Contact: G&S Business Communications for Insightec, Marjani Williams, [email protected], [phone], ext.2108