NeoTract, Inc., a company dedicated to developing innovative, minimally invasive and clinically effective devices to address unmet needs in the field of urology, has recently welcomed the September announcement by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) reporting its UroLift System (Prostatic Urethral Lift) as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can save up to £286 (currently about $445) per patient as a day procedure to the National Health Service (NHS), when compared to traditional surgical procedures. NICE recognized the UroLift System exclusive clinical benefits, such as sexual function preservation, reduced time of recovery, improved quality of life, and the capacity to treat patients at high risk for BPH.
The UroLift System is a revolutionary, minimally invasive approach to treat enlarged prostates, involving no cutting, heating or removal of prostate tissue. The new surgery can be performed under conscious sedation and is a same-day procedure. In this procedure, permanent sutures are placed through hollow needles. The permanent sutures lift up the prostate gland, clearing the bladder opening so that the urinary stream is improved. The only major side effects are burning pain on urination and blood in the urine that only last about a day following the UroLift procedure.
NICE’s Medical Technologies Evaluation Program committee assessed the economic and clinical benefits of the UroLift System and, according to a recent news release, reported it “relieves lower urinary tract (LUTS) symptoms while avoiding the risk to sexual function associated with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP)… and represents a significant advantage for men who wish to preserve their sexual function. Using the system reduces the length of a person’s stay in hospital. It can also be used in a day-surgery unit.”
The institute “accepted expert advice that catheterisation time would be reduced and in many cases… [this] would be avoided, especially as surgeons gain experience with the procedure. It also concluded that it was reasonable and likely that the UroLift System would be used as a day-surgery procedure, often under local anaesthetic.”
Dr. David Nash, dean of the Jefferson College of Population Health, added, “The NICE report dovetails well with an analysis we published December 2013 in Population Health Management that showed an anticipated 30% savings of UroLift versus standard surgery, based on a two year horizon of care within the US Medicare system.”
Estimates indicate that in the United Kingdom, each year, over £180 million (about $280M) is spent in treatments for BPH patients, with about 60% of these expenses occuring in secondary care as a consequence of management complications related to BPH.
The NICE report mentioned that NeoTract’s UroLift System “should be considered as an alternative to current surgical procedures for use in a day-case setting in men with lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia who are aged 50 years and older and who have a prostate of less than 100 ml,” according to the news release.
In a distinct advancement, the National Health System has released “more proper” financial provisions to reimburse the hospitals that undertake UroLift treatment that better mirrors the cost of patients’ care. “Both of these announcements independently, as well as the recent inclusion of UroLift into the European Association of Urology Guidelines, further support the clinical and economic value of this game-changing technology,” stated David Baker, General Manager, NeoTract Australia Pty Ltd. “This is a proud moment for us in Australia as the history of the UroLift System saw the original clinical research being carried out here from 2005, initially by two Urologists in NSW and then soon expanding across four Australian sites. The UroLift System has been available for use in Australia with reimbursement for men holding private health insurance since February 2013.”