Judge Orders J&J to Pay $1 Billion Over Failed Surgical Robot Promises

A Delaware court ordered J&J to pay $1 billion for breaching an acquisition deal by failing to prioritize surgical robots.

The Johnson&Johnson logo is displayed at company offices in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 17, 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images

A Delaware judge has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay more than $1 billion in damages for breaching its acquisition agreement with Auris Health Inc., and failing to prioritize the development of potentially transformative surgical robots.

Vice Chancellor Lori W. Will ruled on Sept. 4 that J&J had breached its promise to pursue regulatory approvals for two surgical robots, the iPlatform and the Monarch, which were developed by Auris before its $3.4 billion acquisition by J&J in 2019.