Monday, September 18, 2023
Nevro Corp. a global medical device company dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions for chronic pain treatment, has recently released new research affirming the health economic advantages of their proprietary high-frequency spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy called "10 kHz Therapy™." This research stems from studies and analyses that assess healthcare utilization (HCU), encompassing doctor visits, medical procedures, tests, emergency room visits, and medication costs, in addition to associated expenses such as inpatient and outpatient services and out-of-pocket costs.
One study, featured in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, investigated the impact of 10 kHz Therapy on resource needs for managing patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 10 kHz Therapy or conventional medical management (CMM), with assessments conducted at the six-month mark. The results showed that patients in the 10 kHz Therapy group experienced roughly half the rate of hospitalizations per patient compared to those in the CMM group (0.08 vs. 0.15). Furthermore, the total healthcare costs per patient in the CMM group were approximately 51 percent higher than those in the 10 kHz Therapy group, equating to an average annual cost per patient of $9,532 vs. $6,300.
Dr. David Caraway, Chief Medical Officer at Nevro, emphasized the significance of this research in highlighting the financial and resource costs associated with treating PDN patients, who have long lacked effective treatment options within the current standard of care.
These findings complement other recent studies supporting the efficacy of 10 kHz Therapy for both PDN and chronic nonsurgical back pain. An analysis published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine evaluated the cost-effectiveness of 10 kHz Therapy in combination with conventional medical management (CMM) compared to CMM alone for patients with chronic, refractory back pain who are not surgical candidates. This study, the first randomized controlled trial in the U.S. to prospectively collect HCU data for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of any SCS therapy for nonsurgical back pain, revealed that 10 kHz Therapy provided a higher quality of life at a lower average cost per patient than CMM therapy. It was predicted to be cost-effective for treating nonsurgical back pain compared to CMM within 2.1 years.
Additionally, an analysis published in Neuromodulation explored the cost burden of 10 kHz Therapy for patients with Chronic Refractory Low Back Pain (CRLBP). The study, using IBM MarketScan databases, identified patients who received 10 kHz Therapy between 2016 and 2019. Results indicated that 10 kHz Therapy may significantly reduce total healthcare costs, offsetting device acquisition costs within 27 months.
Another study, published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, evaluated HCU data for 10 kHz Therapy in a real-world PDN patient population. This analysis demonstrated a substantial reduction in healthcare utilization and costs for patients with PDN who received 10 kHz Therapy.
Kevin Thornal, CEO and President of Nevro, emphasized that these publications highlight how their therapy is reshaping care for chronic pain patients while also reducing costs for both patients and healthcare systems. This evidence underscores Nevro's commitment to producing effective, data-supported therapies accessible to those in need.
Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN) is a significant concern, with the World Health Organization estimating that 422 million adults worldwide live with diabetes. PDN is a progressive, potentially debilitating condition that affects approximately 20% of diabetes patients. In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 140,000 to 200,000 PDN patients each year who do not respond well to conventional medical management, representing a substantial annual market opportunity of approximately $3.5 billion to $5.0 billion.
Source:prnewswire.com
