Insightec Marks 10,000 Patients Treated Across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) With MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound

08.09.2026

Milestone reflects a doubling of treatment volumes in EMEA over the past three years, as growing access to incisionless therapy for essential tremor and Parkinson's disease reaches more than 62 treatment centers across 20 countries, even as significant gaps in access and reimbursement remain across the region

HAIFA, Israel and FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Insightec, a global medical technology company dedicated to using MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) to transform patient care, announced today that 10,000 patients across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region have now been treated with the company's Exablate® Neuro platform for essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. The milestone caps a decade of growth for focused ultrasound in EMEA and reflects a rapid acceleration in adoption: the number of patients treated across the region has more than doubled over the past three years as more hospitals bring incisionless treatment to patients who once had no options beyond medication or invasive surgery.

MR-guided focused ultrasound is now available at more than 62 treatment centers across 20 countries in the EMEA region, with continued growth in both essential tremor and Parkinson's disease indications. That growth is part of a larger global footprint of more than 30,000 patients treated at 226 centers worldwide.

"Ten thousand is a number, but behind every one of those treatments is a person who got their life back: a hand steady enough to hold a cup of coffee, or write a birthday card, or hug a grandchild without shaking," said Jake Ghannam, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer at Insightec. "We're proud of how far focused ultrasound has come in EMEA, and just as proud to see Parkinson's disease patients now benefiting from the same incisionless approach that's already changed thousands of lives with essential tremor. None of this happens without the clinical teams who believed in this therapy early and did the hard work of building it into their standard of care."

Ghannam's reflection on the technology's growth is one measure of the milestone. For individual patients, the measure is much more personal.

In Spain, Juan José, a 56-year-old carpenter who has lived with essential tremor since childhood, is one of them. The condition runs in his family, passed down to his own son, and for years José grew so self-conscious about his tremor that he retreated to his home workshop rather than let others see his hands shake. He recently completed his second-side treatment, a few years after his first MRgFUS treatment for his dominant hand, and the results have brought him real relief.

"I didn't want to go out with my partner because I felt like people were watching my every move when drinking a glass of water or picking up a fork. People notice all of that, so you avoid it." José said. "In a way, I had completely lost confidence in my ability to live a normal life. Now I feel that I am in control of everything again. You realize it yourself and think My God, this, this is living! Now I understand what life is like for normal people."

Watch José's full story at https://youtu.be/p6NQwbMMydg.

That kind of outcome is what has drawn a growing number of physicians to the treatment over the past decade. But even as access has grown, the milestone also underscores how much work remains. Across the EMEA region, millions of people live with essential tremor or Parkinson's disease, yet access to advanced treatment options remains uneven, and a patient's ability to receive focused ultrasound can still depend significantly on where in they live. While patients in some countries benefit from established treatment pathways and broader reimbursement, others continue to face significant barriers to care.

"Ten thousand patients is a milestone worth celebrating, but it also reminds us how much more there is to do," said Insightec Chairman and CEO Maurice Ferré, MD. "Where someone lives should not determine whether they can access an appropriate treatment option. Our ambition is to work alongside clinicians, patient organizations, healthcare systems and government bodies to help create broader and more equitable access to high-quality care throughout the world. Our next milestone isn't simply about reaching a bigger number. It's about seeing more patients treated every year, in more countries, with more equitable access to care."

Insightec continues to work with health authorities, clinical societies and patient groups across the world to close that gap and to help establish sustainable treatment pathways in the countries where access still lags.

About Insightec

Insightec is a global medical technology company creating the next generation of patient care by realizing the therapeutic power of acoustic energy. A pioneer in MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) and a leader in incisionless brain surgery, Insightec partners with neurologists, neurosurgeons and primary care physicians to close significant unmet medical needs. The company's Exablate Neuro platform focuses sound waves, safely guided by MRI, to provide treatment to patients with medication-refractory essential tremor and Parkinson's disease*, restoring function and helping patients and their loved ones return to living more fully. To date, more than 30,000 patients have been treated with Insightec's Exablate technology at 214+ treatment centres worldwide. Research for future applications in the neuroscience space is under way in partnership with leading academic and medical institutions. Insightec is headquartered in Haifa, Israel and Miami, with offices in Dallas, Texas; Frankfurt, Germany; Shanghai; and Tokyo, and operations across more than 25 countries.

Follow us on LinkedInFacebookInstagramYouTube and X or visit insightec.com/global for more information. *For detailed country-specific indications, please visit insightec.com/global/regulatory-approvals. For full safety information, please visit insightec.com/global/safety-information/.

Forward-looking Statements:

This document contains forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, plans, expectations and future events. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the following words: "may," "can," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "promise," "continue," "ongoing," or the negative of these terms. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Insightec as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Insightec are qualified by this caution. Insightec does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Insightec's expectations.

"Exablate," and "Exablate Neuro," as well as the "INSIGHTEC" logo, whether standing alone or in connection with the word "Insightec," are protected trademarks of Insightec.

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Knappes Votum, weitreichende Folgen: Schweiz dreht Schraube beim Zivildienst an

15.06.2026

Die Schweizer Stimmberechtigten haben einer Verschärfung des Zivildienstgesetzes zugestimmt. Laut definitiven Ergebnissen votierten 52,5 Prozent für die Reform, rund 47,5 Prozent dagegen. Damit setzte sich der Kurs von Bundesrat und Parlament durch, den Zivildienst wieder klar als Ausnahme und nicht als gleichwertige Alternative zum obligatorischen Militärdienst zu definieren. Die Stimmbeteiligung lag mit rund 58 Prozent vergleichsweise hoch; 1'690'343 Personen legten ein Ja in die Urne, 1'531'878 stimmten Nein.

Das Ergebnis offenbart deutliche regionale Bruchlinien. Während viele deutschsprachige Kantone die Reform klar unterstützten – etwa Aargau mit 56,2 Prozent, St. Gallen mit 58,9 Prozent, Graubünden mit 59,3 Prozent und Luzern mit 56,9 Prozent Ja – fiel das Verdikt in der Romandie gespalten aus. Genf, Waadt, Neuenburg und Jura lehnten die Vorlage ab, mit Nein-Anteilen von bis zu gut 60 Prozent im Jura. Basel-Stadt stellte sich ebenfalls gegen die Verschärfung, und der Kanton Zürich kippte nach Auszählung der städtischen Stimmen knapp ins Nein-Lager. Demgegenüber sagten Wallis (57,1 Prozent), Freiburg (50,2 Prozent) und das Tessin (53,9 Prozent) Ja zur Reform.

Kern der Vorlage ist ein Paket von sechs Massnahmen, die den Wechsel aus der Armee in den Zivildienst deutlich unattraktiver machen sollen. Künftig müssen alle, die in den Zivildienst wechseln, mindestens 150 Diensttage leisten – unabhängig davon, wie viele Tage im Militär noch offen wären. Für Unteroffiziere und Offiziere gilt damit neu derselbe Umrechnungsfaktor von 1,5 Zivildiensttagen pro verbleibendem Militärdiensttag wie für einfache Soldaten. Wer alle Armee-Ausbildungstage bereits absolviert hat, kann künftig nicht mehr in den Zivildienst wechseln, um der Schiesspflicht zu entgehen.

Zusätzlich werden der zeitliche Rahmen und die Einsatzmöglichkeiten enger gezogen. Zivildienstleistende müssen ab dem Jahr nach ihrem ersten Einsatz jährlich Dienst leisten, bis alle vorgeschriebenen Tage erfüllt sind. Wer vor oder während der Rekrutenschule ein Gesuch stellt, muss den langen Anfangseinsatz von 180 Tagen bereits im Jahr nach der Zulassung absolvieren. Einsätze, die ein begonnenes Medizinstudium voraussetzen, werden gestrichen – offiziell, weil der Armee medizinisches Personal fehlt. Bürgerliche Parteien werteten das Ja als Bestätigung, dass der Zivildienst eine Ausnahme bleiben solle; die links-grüne Nein-Allianz verweist angesichts des knappen Resultats auf die breite gesellschaftliche Unterstützung für den Zivildienst und kündigt an, weitere Verschärfungen bekämpfen zu wollen.