NxThera has received a 2017 Eureka! Innovation Award in recognition of the impact its Rezūm system has had on the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The award, which honors innovation among companies in Minnesota, is presented by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The company will receive the award during a ceremony in June.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal with the Eureka! Innovation Award for our revolutionary Rezūm system,” Bob Paulson, president and CEO of NxThera, said in a press release.
“NxThera is committed to transforming the lives of the tens of millions of men suffering from BPH globally with a minimally invasive treatment option that allows patients to return to their daily activities sooner than traditional, more invasive procedures,” Paulson added.
The Rezūm system is a radiofrequency thermotherapy approach designed to treat BPH. Disease symptoms are estimated to affect about 8 percent of men ages 31 to 40. BPH is increasingly common as people age, affecting about one quarter of men in their 50s, one third in their 60s, and in about half of those 80 or older in the United States.
The Rezūm system allows urologists to remove the obstructive prostate tissue causing BPH in an outpatient procedure. Using a hand-held device, Rezūm delivers water vapor directly to the extra prostate tissue that is causing symptoms such as urinary urgency, irregular flow, weak stream, or interrupted sleep from getting up at night to urinate.
The treated tissue is reabsorbed after the procedure, and patients are reported to recover quickly, feel relief (such as ability to urinate), and an overall improved quality of life.
NxThera presented the results from a trial evaluating the Rezūm system at the 2016 American Urological Association annual meeting in San Diego. Rezūm was determined to be an effective non-pharmaceutical treatment option for men with BPH and lower urinary tract syndrome (LUTS). The researchers reported symptom reduction and preserved sexual function among the patients, and the study established the system’s safety and effectiveness.
NxThera is now evaluating the use of its convective radiofrequency thermotherapy platform across other endo-urological conditions.
“We also continue our development efforts and clinical studies to expand the application of our innovative convective thermotherapy platform to treat other endo-urological conditions such as prostate, kidney and bladder cancer, and overactive bladder,” Paulson said.