Mainstay Medical Holdings plc has introduced ReActiv8, its implantable neurostimulation system for chronic low back pain, to the Australian market. 

“Launching ReActiv8, our Restorative Neurostimulation therapy, commercially in Australia is a significant milestone for our global commercial expansion. Several top Australian physicians have been part of our clinical studies since inception and are among the most experienced globally in selecting and treating patients with ReActiv8. We are excited to make ReActiv8 commercially available to Australian physicians and their patients suffering from mechanical chronic low back pain,” said Jason Hannon, CEO of Mainstay.

ReActiv8 is an active implantable medical device designed to treat adults with intractable chronic low back pain associated with dysfunction of the lumbar multifidus muscle, a key stabilizing muscle of the low back, as evidenced by imaging or physiological testing in adults who have failed therapy, including pain medications and physical therapy, and are not candidates for spine surgery. ReActiv8 provides bilateral electrical stimulation of the L2 medial branch of the dorsal ramus nerve as it crosses the transverse process at L3. Stimulation of this nerve that supplies the multifidus muscle elicits contraction of the muscle which can lead to restoration of control over time, allowing the back to recover from CLBP.
 
The ReActiv8 Restorative Neurostimulation therapy has a CE Mark allowing for commercialization in the European Economic Area and has been focused on building clinical validation in Germany in select centers ahead of wider commercial availability. ReActiv8 has also been admitted to the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), enabling commercialization throughout Australia, and has been approved for inclusion on the Protheses List of reimbursed products in Australia, effective as of July 1, 2020. The Prostheses List identifies implantable devices eligible for reimbursement from all private health insurance funds in Australia. In the United States, ReActiv8 is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 
 
The first commercial ReActiv8 implant in Australia was conducted by Associate Professor Bruce Mitchell, sports and interventional pain physician and director of Metro Pain Group in Melbourne, Australia.
 
“Having been involved in both the ReActiv8-A and -B clinical trials, I am excited to be able to expand this restorative therapy to other patients in my practice. The launch in Australia is a great milestone for ReActiv8 and, ultimately, the patients that suffer from chronic mechanical low back pain who now have a new treatment option,” said Mitchell.
 
One of the root causes of chronic low back pain (CLBP) is impaired control by the nervous system of the muscles that dynamically stabilize the spine. ReActiv8 is designed to electrically stimulate the nerves responsible for contracting these muscles to improve dynamic spine stability, allowing for improvement in CLBP and its disabling effects.
 
People with CLBP usually have a greatly reduced quality of life and score significantly higher on scales for pain, disability, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Their pain and disability can persist despite the best available medical treatments, and only a small percentage of cases result from an identified pathological condition or anatomical defect that may be correctable with spine surgery. Their ability to work or be productive is seriously affected by the condition and the resulting days lost from work, disability benefits and health resource utilization put a significant burden on individuals, families, communities, industry, and governments.