ZygoFix Ltd, 3-year old Israeli technology startup focused on a novel, screwless alternative to traditional spinal fusion and which was founded by serial spine industry entrepreneurs Yizhar Floman and Uri Arin, has just raised $2 million.
ZygoFix Raises $2 Million
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The funding round for Israel-based ZygoFix was led by Agriline and Trendlines Group Ltd. and involved additional private investors and the Israel Innovation Authority. ZygoFix will utilize the funds to undertake additional clinical studies, refine the system implant and tools, and to work toward regulatory clearance.
According to the company, “ZygoFix’s zLOCK is a miniature screwless implant that provides spinal stability and fusion. zLOCK is the least invasive, simplest fusion option; it replaces complex screw stabilization, the current gold-standard used in such procedures. The ZygoFix zLOCK implant’s patented bendable features enable adjustment to specific joints’ shapes during insertion.”
ZygoFix was founded in 2017 by Tel Aviv University Professor Yizhar Floman and Uri Arin, who had previously founded ApiFix, which was acquired by OrthoPediatrics Corporation in April 2020 in an earnout deal that could be worth up to $67 million.
Both ApiFix and ZygoFix were established in The Trendlines Group incubator and received funding from Trendlines and the Israel Innovation Authority. For OTW’s coverage of that acquisition see “OrthoPediatrics Acquires ApiFix.”
ZygoFix has been in clinical trials in Hungary in 2018 and has recently begun a clinical study in Israel.
ZygoFix CEO Ofer Levy commented, “Our technology rethinks spinal stability. We leverage the natural anatomical structure of the spine and insert the zLOCK implant which locks the motion in the joint.”
He continued, “We are very satisfied with this first case in Israel as zLOCK adds a new treatment option to the surgeon’s toolbox. Its unique ability to perform internal facet fixation with a minimally invasive procedure enables us to treat pathologies in a simple manner, that were too complex and invasive to treat otherwise.”
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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