ALEXANDRIA, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Zeta Surgical, Inc. (“ZETA”), a medical technology company developing image-guided navigation and robotic systems for brain surgery and neuromodulation, today announced the launch of its collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in support of the Phase 3 SPARC-TMS clinical study.
The program will assess robotic, neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) administered in a single outpatient day for patients experiencing severe depression, utilizing the FDA-cleared Zeta TMS Navigation System and Zeta TMS Robotic System. Together, the systems provide automated, millimeter-level navigation of TMS treatment coils to MRI-defined treatment targets, while continuously tracking patient movement and dynamically adjusting coil position to help maintain precise and repeatable stimulation throughout treatment. The TMS course will be accompanied by NRX-101, an investigational neuroplastic therapy developed by NRx Pharmaceuticals.
Mental health has become an increasingly important focus for U.S. military organizations, where depression, anxiety, and other behavioral-health conditions can adversely impact not only individual well-being but also force readiness. Federal government data indicates that mental-health disorders constitute a substantial portion of medical encounters and diminished readiness among active-duty personnel.
Conventional TMS regimens, which typically require repeated treatment visits over several weeks and rely heavily on trained operators for targeting, positioning, and treatment delivery, can be challenging to deploy at scale in military environments. ZETA’s robotic neuronavigation technology is designed to reduce both the time and specialized personnel required to deliver precise TMS, creating the potential for advanced neuromodulation treatment to be deployed more broadly across military health systems, including in settings where access to highly specialized clinical staff may be limited.
“This is a huge advancement for the wellbeing of U.S. military men and women actively serving our country. By bringing the precision required in brain surgery to patients receiving transcranial magnetic stimulation in the field, mental health can be optimized acutely when needed most,” stated Dr. Matthew McGirt, Neurosurgeon and Chief Strategy Officer at ZETA.
The SPARC-TMS trial encompasses Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, Florida-based HOPE Therapeutics, and military treatment facilities including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Through evaluations across leading academic, commercial, and military care settings, the program aims to demonstrate not only clinical performance, but also the scalability, operational efficiency, and deployability of ZETA’s robotic, neuronavigated TMS platform across diverse real-world treatment environments.
About ZETA:
ZETA is redefining the standard of care for image-guided surgery and targeted neurotherapeutics. Its navigation and robotics platform applies advanced artificial intelligence and computer vision to enable high-accuracy image guidance across virtually any point of care in minutes, unlocking less invasive and more precise targeted therapies.
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