Relievant Medsystems Marks Intracept Procedure Milestone

Relievant Medsystems is touting a patient mlestone, announcing that more than 10,000 patients have been relieved of lower back pain via the Intracept Procedure. 

“Impacting 30 million adults, chronic low back pain is one of the most common and debilitating conditions in the U.S. and is the leading cause of disability worldwide,” said Kiran V. Patel, M.D., director of Pain Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital and founder/CEO of NYC Neuromodulation Center of Excellence. “In the past, opioids have been the most commonly prescribed medication for low back pain, but for both the patients I treat and millions of patients with chronic vertebrogenic low back pain, the Intracept Procedure is a breakthrough option that is providing long-term pain relief and life-changing outcomes.”
 
Relievant Medsystems’ minimally invasive Intracept Procedure is the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared treatment for relieving vertebrogenic pain. The same-day, outpatient procedure uses targeted radiofrequency energy to stop the basivertebral nerve (BVN) from transmitting pain signals from the vertebrae and takes approximately one hour to perform.
 
“We’re excited to be treating patients with Intracept and seeing a relatively rapid and lasting pain relief response,” said Pankaj Mehta, M.D., clinical president and chief medical officer at Pain Specialists of America. “For many patients the outcomes have been life-changing. My team and I have also been pleased with the ease of the procedure and the support we’ve received.”
 
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 safety and durability of the Intracept Procedure are not only demonstrated by a robust set of clinical data but also by the physicians and patients who have experienced its impact firsthand,” Relievant Medsystems President/CEO Tyler Binney stated. “Over 5 million people suffer from vertebrogenic pain in the U.S., and we know that these 10,000 patients are the first of many to receive pain relief and potentially realize a better quality of life.”
 
Of the 30 million people in the United States with chronic low back pain, one in six 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.
 
Relievant Medsystems is a commercial-stage medical device company transforming vertebrogenic pain diagnosis and treatment with the Intracept Procedure. The company is based in Sunnyvale, Calif.