Relievant Medsystems Announces Positive Coverage Policy for the Intracept Procedure from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Expands access to vertebrogenic pain treatment for 36 million patients

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Relievant Medsystems, a company dedicated to transforming the diagnosis and treatment of vertebrogenic low back pain, today announced that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has established favorable coverage for the Intracept^® Procedure. The coverage went into effect on Wednesday, September 27, and expands access to the procedure, when clinically appropriate, to more than 36 million patients.

The favorable coverage policy from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is the latest in a series of recent positive coverage determinations for the Intracept Procedure. This includes coverage from Cigna Healthcare, which went into effect in June of 2023 and expanded access to more than 19 million lives.

“We continue to educate payers on the robust clinical evidence supporting the efficacy, safety and durability of the Intracept Procedure. The decision from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is an important step in expanding patient and physician access to this proven treatment,” said Tyler Binney, President and CEO of Relievant Medsystems. “We look forward to building on this momentum with the ultimate goal of helping the millions of patients with vertebrogenic pain achieve significant and durable relief.”

More than 15,000 patients have been treated with Relievant Medsystems’ minimally invasive Intracept Procedure, the only FDA-cleared treatment for chronic vertebrogenic low back pain. It is a same-day, outpatient procedure that uses targeted radiofrequency energy to stop the basivertebral nerve (BVN) from transmitting pain signals to the brain and takes approximately one hour to perform.

Based on existing data, patients typically experience minimal post-procedure discomfort and a quick recovery. The Intracept Procedure is supported by strong scientific evidence, including two Level I randomized clinical trials and data showing improvements are sustained more than five years post-procedure.

“The clinical efficacy of the Intracept Procedure is well established, and I have seen the life-changing pain relief it has given my patients. The ability to provide a precise, minimally invasive and durable treatment for our most common, yet most difficult, patient population is truly revolutionary,” said Kevin Macadaeg, MD, Founder and Vice President, Indiana Spine Group. “This positive coverage determination from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is welcome news to expand patient access further and empower physicians to diagnose and treat this often debilitating condition.”

Of the 30 million people in the U.S. with chronic low back pain, 1 in 6 are likely to have vertebrogenic pain, a distinct type of chronic low back pain caused by damage to vertebral endplates, the interface between the disc and the vertebral body. Patients typically have pain in the middle of their low back, which worsens when they bend over, sit for long periods of time, or when they are active. A physician can confirm a patient’s pain is vertebrogenic by observing Modic changes, a biomarker seen on standard MRI that indicates inflammation at the vertebral endplate.

For more information about the Intracept Procedure, visit: https://www.relievant.com/intracept/.

About Relievant Medsystems
Relievant Medsystems is a commercial-stage medical device company transforming the diagnosis and treatment of vertebrogenic pain, a form of Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP), with the Intracept Procedure – a novel, clinically proven and commercially available treatment designed to improve the quality of life for millions of indicated patients. For more information about Relievant Medsystems and the Intracept Procedure, visit www.relievant.com.

Media Contact:
Shelli Lissick, Bellmont Partners
(651) 276-6922 | shelli@bellmontpartners.com

Investor Contact:
Marissa Bych, Gilmartin Group
(805) 305-1244 | marissa@gilmartinir.com