NHS England to Extend Reimbursement for the HeartFlow Analysis Through Innovation and Technology Payment (ITP) Program

ITP Program extended in recognition of the positive impact of the
HeartFlow Analysis on patient management, streamlining treatment
strategies and reducing waiting lists

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HeartFlow,
Inc. today announced that NHS England has extended HeartFlow’s
participation in the Innovation
and Technology Payment (ITP) program for an additional year. As part
of the extension, NHS England will provide reimbursement to NHS
hospitals for the usage of the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis, a non-invasive
cardiac test for stable symptomatic patients with coronary heart disease
(CHD), until March 31, 2020.

The HeartFlow Analysis was chosen as a new technology to be funded by
ITP in April 2018 through a competitive process of nearly 300
applicants. The goal of the ITP is to create the conditions necessary
for proven innovations to be adopted faster and more systematically
throughout the NHS. More than 35 hospitals adopted use of the HeartFlow
Analysis during the first year of the ITP program, and it is anticipated
that an additional 30 hospitals will adopt the HeartFlow Analysis with
the extension.

“Using the HeartFlow Analysis has transformed our paradigm for
investigating chest pain. It has dramatically reduced the numbers of
patients requiring invasive investigation and has allowed strategic
targeting of therapy for those patients who still require invasive
angiography, which saves both time and expense,” said Dr. Philip Strike,
Interventional Cardiologist, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth. “It
has allowed sensible and safe waiting list management and allowed
prioritization of higher risk patients by removing unnecessary invasive
assessment in other patients.”

“The HeartFlow Analysis provides both anatomy and function in a single
test, which has transformed our cardiac CT service from a simple CHD
‘rule-out service’ to a sophisticated clinical triaging and
decision-making service,” said Dr. Matthias Schmitt, Consultant
Cardiologist, Service Lead for Cardiac Imaging, Wythenshawe Campus and
Staff Governor (Medical), Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
“The application of this technology has reduced the number of referrals
to the catheterization laboratory that do not lead to subsequent
revascularization, but more importantly, has prevented patients from
having to take more time away from work for additional testing.”

“For every five patients who have a cardiac CT and a HeartFlow Analysis,
four patients go home knowing they don’t need anything else. Half of
those patients will be on cholesterol tablets because they have early
disease, and the other half will have normal coronary arteries,” said
Dr. Derek Connolly, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Sandwell &
West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust. “Incorporating the HeartFlow
Analysis has had a meaningful impact at our hospitals, improving the
diagnosis and treatment of the leading cause of death.”

The ITP designation for the HeartFlow Analysis follows medical
technology guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and
Care Excellence (NICE) in February 2017, which recommended the HeartFlow
Analysis as the most cost-effective option following a coronary computed
tomography angiogram (CTA) when additional information is needed by the
clinician for patients with stable chest pain. Additionally, NICE clinical
guidelines recommend coronary CTA as the initial diagnostic test for
most patients with stable chest pain.

“We are delighted that NHS England recognizes the impact of the
HeartFlow Analysis in improving the patient experience and enhancing
clinical decision making and efficiency,” said Dana G. Mead, Jr.,
President and Chief Executive Officer, HeartFlow. “With the ITP
extension, we look forward to working with NHS hospitals to make the
HeartFlow Analysis available to more clinicians and their patients.”

About the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis

Data from a patient’s non-invasive coronary CTA are securely uploaded
from the hospital’s system to HeartFlow’s software application running
in the AWS cloud. HeartFlow leverages deep learning and highly trained
analysts to create a personalized, digital 3D model of the patient’s
coronary arteries. The HeartFlow Analysis then uses powerful computer
algorithms to solve millions of complex equations to simulate blood flow
and assess the impact of blockages on coronary blood flow. The HeartFlow
Analysis is provided via a secure online interface to offer actionable
information to enable clinicians to determine the optimal course of
treatment.

The HeartFlow Analysis offers the highest per-vessel diagnostic
performance available from a non-invasive test.¹ To date,
clinicians around the world have used the HeartFlow Analysis for more
than 30,000 patients to aid in the diagnosis of heart disease.

About HeartFlow, Inc.

HeartFlow, Inc. is a digital health company uniquely positioned at the
intersection of advanced artificial intelligence and healthcare to
transform how heart disease is diagnosed and treated. Our non-invasive
HeartFlow FFRct Analysis leverages deep learning to create a
personalized 3D model of the heart. By using this model, clinicians can
better evaluate the impact a blockage has on blood flow and determine
the best treatment for patients. Our technology is reflective of our
Silicon Valley roots and incorporates decades of scientific evidence
with the latest advances in artificial intelligence. The HeartFlow FFRct
Analysis is commercially available in the United States, Canada, Europe
and Japan. For more information, visit www.heartflow.com.

¹ Driessen, R., et al. Comparison of Coronary Computed
Tomography Angiography, Fractional Flow Reserve, and Perfusion Imaging
for Ischemia Diagnosis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(2),161-73.

Contacts

Jennie Kim
jekim@heartflow.com
415-793-7686