Struggling robotic surgery aspirant Transenterix Inc. is cutting staff in the U.S. and shifting its focus on the heels of the FDA's rejection of its Surgibot surgical robot. The Morrisville, N.C.-based company is instead aiming to secure FDA clearance of the CE-marked Alf-X surgical robot in 2017. A successful submission is crucial because company reported an operating loss nearly $15 million during the quarter, and said it has $75 million of cash-on-hand, enough to fund itself through the third quarter of 2017.

A joint bid to deploy Proteus Digital Health Inc.'s ingestible sensor with Tokyo-based Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.'s antipsychotic drug, Abilify, was met with a complete response letter from the FDA.