In its fourth quarter earnings call, Stryker laid out its timeline for new Mako robot applications. Since, executives at other medtech companies have addressed those plans.
Stryker's vice president of investor relations, Jason Beach, said there is "good progress" on Mako spine and shoulder's development, according to a Jan. 31 call transcribed by Seeking Alpha. Mako spine is expected to launch in the second half of 2024, and the initial shoulder launch is aimed toward the end of 2024.
A few days later, Zimmer Biomet's COO Ivan Tornos said the company expects to beat Stryker to the shoulder application. Mr. Tornos didn't give specifics but said a launch could be soon.
"I'll tell you frankly, I’ll be very surprised if we're not first to market, given where we are in the development cycle," Mr. Tornos said, as transcribed by Seeking Alpha. "My expectation remains that we're going to be ahead."
Globus Medical, which has its ExcelsiusGPS and Excelsius3D spine systems, also has its eye on Stryker. In its Feb. 21 fourth quarter earnings call, CEO Dan Scavilla said he wasn't worried about competition with Stryker.
"We've been talking continuously about our development of the ecosystem of multiple things that all fit together," Mr. Scavilla said, as transcribed by Motley Fool. "We've talked about our procedural applications from pre-op planning through to post-op data and feedback loops. All of those items were well ahead of the curve. We're pushing out. We're driving. That will not only keep us relevant but actually keep us as a leader here. Competition will come as natural. They're coming because of our success, and we're going to continue to innovate."