PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NeoTract, Inc., a medical device company focused on addressing unmet needs in the field of urology, today announced that Medicare Administrative Contractor Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC has approved coverage for the company's UroLift® System for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Noridian Medicare coverage, which is retroactively effective as of January 1, 2015, represents the first systemwide coverage for the UroLift System from a Medicare Administrative Contractor. The Noridian Medicare jurisdictions include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii. Category 1 CPT® (Current Procedural Terminology) codes for reporting the procedure became effective January 1, 2015.
"NeoTract is dedicated to providing men who suffer from an enlarged prostate a truly minimally invasive treatment option,” said Dave Amerson, president and CEO, NeoTract. “We are pleased that coverage through Noridian will increase access to our game-changing UroLift technology for 6.6 million men in thirteen states.”
"Based on strong clinical data and a need for a less invasive treatment option for BPH, I began offering my patients the UroLift System treatment more than a year ago,” said Shawn Blick, M.D., of Valley Urologic Associates in Phoenix, Arizona. “My patients have tolerated the procedure well with minimal side effects, and the results have been very dramatic and durable. I am very pleased that my Medicare patients now have access to this new treatment that offers the rapid relief of urinary symptoms with no sexual side effects.”
About Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
BPH, also known as enlarged prostate, is a medical condition in which the prostate gland that surrounds the male urethra becomes enlarged with advancing age and begins to obstruct the urinary system. The condition is common, affecting approximately 37 million men in the United States alone. BPH symptoms include sleepless nights and urinary problems, and can cause loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life. About one in four men experience BPH-related symptoms by age 55 and by age 70, over 80 percent of men suffer from BPH.
Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts or ablates prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options, such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), can be very effective in relieving symptoms, it can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and retrograde ejaculation (dry orgasm).
About the UroLift System
The FDA-cleared UroLift System is a novel, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The UroLift System is available in the U.S., Europe, Australia and Canada. Learn more at www.UroLift.com.
About NeoTract
NeoTract, Inc. is dedicated to developing innovative, minimally invasive and clinically effective devices that address unmet needs in the field of urology. The company’s initial focus is on improving the standard of care for patients with BPH using the UroLift System, a minimally invasive permanent implant system that treats symptoms while preserving normal sexual function. Learn more at www.NeoTract.com.
