Bertin Nahum (Medtech): "Surgery is My Passion"

Leaders League. You were born in Dakar to Beninese parents, what are your links with Africa today?

Bertin Nahum. Although I grew up in France, I have always had an emotional bond with Africa. Besides, as an entrepreneur I can’t but be particularly enthusiastic when I see development opportunities and the speed of growth in the markets of some countries. I sincerely hope that these changes are going to bring about real benefits for people in African countries.

Leaders League. Does Medtech have operations in Africa?

B.N. We are well aware of the exceptional opportunities provided by the African markets, in terms of innovation and healthcare. It’s why we are working today to better understand the uniqueness and needs of these very diverse markets, which are in constant evolution, to be able to best meet their expectations in the future. 

Leaders League. In your opinion is technology the future of medicine? Are we all going to be seen to by robots?  

B.N. Technology is a support that allows the operating techniques of surgical teams to evolve as well as the development of new practices. Medtech’s objective is to help surgeons during extremely sensitive operations, and in no way to replace them. I don’t think that in the future robots will come to replace human surgeons. What we are talking about here is assistive medical technology. The best analogy to make is with airline pilots. They use a multitude of navigational tools to help them fly the plane which are specifically designed to make their piloting more reliable. These technological tools are not designed to replace the pilot, simply because we will always have need of an expert presence, a human being to cope with the specific demands of each situation. Our Rosa™ technology aims to make surgery safer and more reliable.         

Leaders League. What’s your take on the changes currently happening in the health sector in Africa?

B.N. The progress being made in Africa at the moment is considerable and the health sector is no exception. Beyond the fact that innovation will bring fundamental improvements to the care and treatment of patients, they are essential in that they highlight the vitality of the entrepreneurial and innovation scene in Africa. Equally posed are questions of training and financing, which are the most important issues at stake in this sector.     

Leaders League. With Medtech, and your robot Rosa, you have been accumulating prizes and awards. What comes next for Medtech? Where is there left to conquer?

B.N. Our priority now is the roll out of our second robot Rosa™ Spine. After Rosa™ Brain, dedicated to diseases of the brain, we conceived and developed Rosa™ Spine, which assists surgeons during spinal-column operations. In July 2014 we obtained the CE marking for this robot, which means that we can now market the product in Europe. At the end of 2014 the first patient was operated on with the assistance of Rosa™ Spine by the neurosurgery department at the Amiens-Picardie University Hospital for a degenerative spinal column disease.  At the start of 2016 we obtained authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell the product in the United States. Assisting medical professionals in the treatment of conditions related to back illness is also our priority. Many surgeons are calling for robotic technologies to treat the many patients with complex back problems.

According to the World Health Organization back trouble is the leading cause of inability to work among the under 45s. The economic impact of this illness is enormous and it’s not getting better anytime soon. We urgently need to come up with innovative, effective solutions to treat the above. It’s a public health challenge. For neurological as well as spinal illnesses, the technology Medtech has developed represents an innovative solution. We are working daily to expand the usage of our solutions to the treatment of common illnesses, which do not at present benefit from enough technological help. When we have tackled this immense challenge, we can turn our attention to the next problem.       

Leaders League. In only 12 years of existence Medtech has become a listed company and seen its revenues more than double in the space of a year between the first semester 2015 and the first semester of 2016. What is the secret to such a rapid growth?

B.N. The quality of our products, in the first instance. If our technology has created a buzz, it’s because it comes with high value-added innovation. Our robotic devices allow operation on patients with minimally-invasive techniques, reducing post-operative pain, the risk of infection and the time spent recovering in hospital. For the surgeons it means improved precision, dexterity and safety. Apart from this I think that our technology has made a name for itself because it involved in highly sensitive areas where its applications have not yet been fully explored. But above all Medtech raises interest because the need for our products is there. A simple example is epilepsy, whose symptoms our devices contribute to ease, which between 700,000 and 800,000 people in France and some 50 million worldwide have. For 20% of those with epilepsy, current medication is ineffective. Because of resistance to drug treatment, numerous patients who are partially epileptic are candidates for surgery - yet today only one patient in a thousand is operated on. That’s just one example, but it illustrates the absolute necessity to democratize minimally-invasive robotic technology for surgery and, beforehand, make it available to a large number of healthcare professionals.      

Leaders League. You are 46, at the head of a highly successful company. What motivates you?

B.N. I am motivated to work to make Medtech bigger and with the rest of my team, give birth to a real feeling of usefulness and nourish everyday my desire to devote my career to patients, from a technical standpoint. Surgery is my passion. It’s a sector in constant evolution at the crossroads of two worlds, technology and medicine. Developing our robots, in order to provide ever better treatment for patients gives me satisfaction everyday.   

O.N.

Translation S.McG

Interview conducted in February 2016, before the American manufacturer Zimmer Biomet bought a majority share in Medtech.