Olympus has agreed to acquire BioProtect in a $270m deal, giving the company a commercial device that will help expand its prostate cancer care provision.
Israel-based BioProtect’s lead product is Balloon Spacer, a system designed to provide consistent spacing between the prostate and other critical structures, helping protect healthy tissues during prostate cancer radiation therapies. Post-treatment, the implant naturally biodegrades.
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Olympus expects the deal, of which ‘certain amounts’ of the total outlay will be held in escrow for an unspecified period dependent on uninterrupted operation of the business, to complete by Q2 of the Japanese medtech’s fiscal year 2026.
, Balloon Spacer has been used in more than 11,000 procedures worldwide since its commercial introduction in 2023, according to BioProtect. The system is marketed in both the US and Europe.
Aligning with its ‘innovation-driven growth’ strategy, the transaction helps Olympus expand its portfolio in adjacent therapeutic areas related to endoscopy, including the gastrointestinal and urological fields, the company stated.
Seiji Kuramoto, executive officer and surgical and interventional solutions division head at Olympus, commented: “BioProtect brings a highly differentiated solution to prostate cancer care, with a compelling clinical value proposition and early commercial success.
“By combining BioProtect’s strengths with Olympus’ global reach and relationships with healthcare professionals, we believe we can expand access to solutions that support better patient outcomes and help clinicians to advance the treatment of prostate cancer.”
Olympus’s endoscopy division shake-up
Olympus’s acquisition of BioProtect follows a time of upheaval for the former company, as it seeks to shake off some recent deficiencies within its endoscopy product portfolio.
Olympus announced plans to lay off around 2,000 employees in November 2025. Expected to come into effect in FY26/FY27, the company claimed the action would “expand managerial spans of control” through the simplification of Olympus’ business operations and also allow for clearer accountability within its endoscopy operations.
These actions come partly in response to a spate of regulatory controversy between Olympus and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Olympus’s endoscope line was hit with a Class I recall by the FDA in December 2023, following reports of a patient death and several injuries linked to endobronchial burns following the use of the company’s bronchoscopes. In 2024, the company experienced issues as one of its endoscope components was linked to a patient death and 120 injuries.
