Johnson & Johnson brings robotic bronchoscopy to the Middle East with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

If lung cancer is caught early, nine in ten patients survive at least five years. Caught late, that figure drops below ten percent. That gap is the entire reason robotic bronchoscopy exists — and the Middle East just got its first taste of it.

Johnson & Johnson has completed the first robotically-assisted bronchoscopy procedure in the region using its MONARCH Platform, performed at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. The case also introduced MONARCH QUEST, the platform's latest software update, which uses AI-powered navigation and connects with a range of fixed and mobile imaging systems. Both milestones are firsts for the region.

How does it work?

Traditional bronchoscopy struggles to reach lesions in the outer sections of the lung, where nearly half of early-stage tumours sit. The MONARCH Platform gives clinicians robotic-assisted access to those areas through a minimally invasive approach, with continuous camera vision throughout the procedure. MONARCH QUEST adds real-time 3D imaging data during the procedure, giving physicians a sharper picture of where they are and what they are targeting. The system is built to work across the full care pathway, from pre-operative planning through to AI-guided navigation during the procedure itself.

• Robotic control with a scope-in-sheath design for stable, precise reach
• AI algorithms to support navigation and nodule targeting
• Integration with mobile and fixed advanced imaging systems
• Connection to Johnson & Johnson's broader Polyphonic digital ecosystem

Why does it matter?

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death globally, largely because it is so often found at a stage when options are limited. Getting a biopsy of a suspicious nodule earlier in the disease course is not a minor improvement — it can be the difference between curative treatment and palliative care. Dr. Zaid Zoumot, Interventional Pulmonologist and Division Chair of Pulmonary Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, put it plainly: the technology creates the opportunity to reach small lesions across all lung segments and accelerate treatment decisions.

The context

The UAE has positioned itself as the region's benchmark for advanced medical care, and Abu Dhabi in particular has invested heavily in attracting world-class hospital networks and technology partners. This introduction fits squarely within that strategy. For Johnson & Johnson, it is also a market expansion move — the company describes this as bringing MONARCH to "a new region of the world," with a stated commitment to widening access to lung cancer innovation globally. So the question now is how quickly other GCC health systems follow Abu Dhabi's lead.