Based on its recent analysis of the spinal cord stimulation (SCS) market, Frost & Sullivan has recognised Nuvectra with the 2017 North American New Product Innovation Award for its flagship product, the Algovita SCS System. SCS is fast becoming the non-drug alternative for chronic pain conditions, and Nuvectra’s commitment to advancing next-generation neurostimulation technologies makes it a crucial player in the market.
“The billion-dollar global chronic pain management market is significantly underserved,” explains Frost & Sullivan Global Director, Venkat Rajan, in a press release. “Chronic pain affects over a 100 million in the USA and conventional treatments primarily rely on opioid use, which poses risks that include reduced function, addiction, overdose, and even death. On the other hand, neurostimulation therapies, and SCS in particular, have garnered a reputation as an effective and safe treatment for refractory chronic pain over the past four decades.”
The release states that Nuvectra’s Algovita uniquely combines electronic architecture, implantable pulse generator (IPG) capabilities, and telemetry to enable agile, individually tailored SCS therapy for a range of chronic pain patients. It allows physicians to design multiple treatment programmes, empowering patients to select therapy options based on daily-life pain experiences. Moreover, Algovita’s upgradable and expandable platform is responsive to market changes, providing non-invasive updates to implement the latest therapies for optimal care.
“The SCS sector in the USA will be at nearly US$1.5 billion by 2018 and although it is a mature market, increasing disease prevalence, demand for innovative therapies, and wider patient acceptance will drive high market growth,” says Rajan. “Nuvectra’s broad-based neurostimulation platform positions the company for accelerated future growth. Its improved therapy delivery system, including enhanced features for a simple physician and patient user experience coupled with the platform’s powerful, upgradable versatility, will enable different therapeutic approaches and markets.”
Pain physicians or neurosurgeons conduct three to seven-day trials using percutaneous leads to evaluate the risk-benefit for patients. Once SCS is found to be a viable option, implantation is done. Thereafter, physicians and Nuvectra representatives work to set the therapy configuration that effectively relieves patients of their pain. While physicians appreciate Algovita’s breadth of capabilities, usability, and the ease of lead implantation, patients like the system’s effectiveness and the portable programmer’s easy-to-use interface.
CE marked and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Algovita’s features include:
- A user-friendly control design and intuitive operation
- A 24-channel rechargeable IPG that implants in the upper buttock and connects to leads in the epidural space
- A comprehensive lead portfolio that boasts a novel stretchable coil design and different lead configurations
- Multiple current sources with the broadest parametric range set—pulse width, frequency, and amplitude—of any system currently in the market to enable personalised therapies
- Wireless, portable patient and physician programmers based on the Medical Implant Communication Service (MICS) band that allows external programme adjustments
For these reasons, Nuvectra has been chosen as the worthy recipient of Frost & Sullivan’s 2017 North America New Product Innovation Award in the spinal cord stimulation market. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed an innovative element in a product by leveraging leading-edge technologies. The award recognises the value-added features and benefits of the product and the increased returns on investment it offers customers, which in turn increases customer acquisition and overall market penetration potential.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
