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Laborie’s Optilume® Technology Receives UK NICE Guideline Recommendations

Laborie’s Optilume® Technology Receives UK NICE Guideline Recommendations

  • The Optilume® Urethral Drug Coated Balloon (DCB) is a minimally invasive technology that is expected to have a significant impact in the urological community, offering a novel treatment option for urethral strictures that traditionally would require major surgery or need frequent retreatment1.
  • The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assessed both the clinical and economic benefits of the technology versus existing standard of care, highlighting benefits to patients and the healthcare economy in the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS)2

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., November 30, 2022 – Leading diagnostic and therapeutic medical technology company, Laborie Medical Technologies Corp. (Laborie), welcomed an announcement by NICE that the use of Optilume® Urethral DCB for the treatment of anterior urethral stricture, is considered a safe, effective, and cost-saving technology for use in clinical practice in the NHS2, providing improved clinical benefits to patients versus existing standard of care.

In evaluating both clinical and economic benefits, NICE’s Medical Technologies Evaluation Program (MTEP) committee commented in its report, “Optilume done in an outpatient setting  could reduce waiting times for the treatment of recurrent bulbar urethral strictures. The comparative clinical evidence shows that Optilume is effective in the short term (up to 2 years). The cost analysis shows that Optilume is cost saving at 5 years as compared with standard care (urethral dilatation, urethrotomy and urethroplasty)”2.

With approximately 16,000 men in the UK suffering from urethral stricture that require admission to hospital each year and 12,000 requiring interventions at an annual cost of over £10 million per annum3, the committee also concluded that Optilume has the potential to substantially reduce waiting lists, and that this may not be fully captured in the cost analysis2.

“We are pleased with the publication of NICE Guidelines for Optilume,” commented Dan Merz, Laborie’s Chief Technology Officer, “This is an important milestone and provides guidance supporting adoption by the NHS and Urology healthcare practitioners based on independently reviewed evidence demonstrating the clinical and economic value that Optilume brings to the NHS ecosystem and patients suffering from urethral stricture.”

Professor Nicholas Watkin, Consultant Urologist at Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust where the first Optilume® Urethral DCB procedures were performed in the NHS in June 2021, said of the announcement “With this welcome  NICE recommendation, the clinical expert panel agrees that Optilume has the potential to positively impact how urethral strictures are managed in the future, benefiting patients’ quality of life and providing a cost-effective treatment for the management of recurrent anterior urethral stricture.”

The Optilume® Urethral DCB is now being offered by multiple NHS hospitals in England, Wales and Scotland. Following publication of these guidelines from NICE, it is expected that additional NHS hospitals in the UK will begin to offer the technology as part of clinical services for the treatment of anterior urethral stricture.

About Laborie Medical Technologies

Headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Laborie is a global medical technology company focused on Urology, Urogynecology, Gastroenterology, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Neonatal Health. We manufacture and deliver high-quality, high-impact diagnostic and therapeutic products that help clinicians and hospitals preserve and restore patient dignity. Clinicians and hospitals look to us as the market-leading experts in our business segments, and we support our products with a world-class Clinical Education & Information program. Laborie is a portfolio company of Patricia Industries. For more information visit www.laborie.com.

About Patricia Industries

Patricia Industries, a part of Investor AB, invests in best-in-class companies with strong market positions, brands and corporate cultures within industries positioned for secular growth. We invest with an indefinite holding period and partner with great management teams to create value for people and society by building strong and sustainable businesses.

About Investor AB

Investor, founded by the Wallenberg family in 1916, is an engaged owner of high-quality, global companies. We have a long-term investment perspective. Through our board participation, industrial experience, global network and financial strength, we work continuously to support our companies to remain or become best-in-class.

References

  1. Heyns CF, Steenkamp JW, De Kock ML, Whitaker P. Treatment of male urethral strictures: is repeated dilation or internal urethrotomy useful? J Urol. 1998 Aug;160(2):356-8. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(01)62894-5. PMID: 9679876.
  2. NICE Guidelines for Optilume: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/MTG73
  3. Mundy AR, Andrich DE. Urethral strictures. BJU Int. 2011;107:6–26. 
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