Milestone Scientific Inc. (NYSE:MLSS), a leading
developer of computerized drug delivery instruments that provide
painless and precise injections, today provided the following
letter to shareholders from the Company’s CEO, Arjan Haverhals,
including updates regarding commercialization of the CompuFlo®
technology and initial reimbursements of CompuFlo by commercial
payors and Medicare:
To our valued shareholders,
While we recognize commercializing a new medical
device takes time, we believe we are gaining positive traction and
have developed a truly transformative technology that has the
potential to become the standard of care, given the patient safety
and economic benefits of the CompuFlo® Epidural System. As with any
new medical technology, we have had to navigate a number of
significant hurdles to position the technology for market adoption.
These include the successful completion of clinical studies, FDA
regulatory market clearance, and the AMA assignment of a new
CompuFlo procedure CPT code for use by providers and payors.
I am proud to report we are making steady
progress in advancing commercialization of the CompuFlo technology.
Highlights for 2023 include receipt of FDA clearance for expanded
use of the CompuFlo technology to now include the thoracic and
cervical thoracic junction of the spine, launching a reimbursement
plan to educate and support pain management providers in the use of
the new CPT code (0777T) for accurate and timely claims
submissions, as well as executing a plan to gain real-world
feedback from clinicians on their experience using CompuFlo.
Several advisory sites were established across
the US that implemented the CompuFlo technology in their practice.
These providers deemed the CompuFlo technology clinically
appropriate and medically necessary for many of their patients by
including the use of CompuFlo in their epidural steroid injection
procedures. The medical decision by physicians to use CompuFlo
demonstrates the clinical utility and benefit of the technology in
patient care.
Since launch, we have been working closely with
the advisory sites that have been submitting CompuFlo claims. I am
pleased to report they have now submitted claims for over 100
patient procedures and additional cases are continuing as we head
into 2024. This is a noteworthy achievement for a company of our
size, and the pace continues to accelerate. All claims submitted to
date, using CPT 0777T, have been successfully accepted by payor
systems for processing.
More importantly, advisory physicians reported
100% success rate for each of their patients using CompuFlo, with
zero dural punctures. This is particularly noteworthy, as 50% of
these procedures were conducted in the thoracic and thoracic
cervical junction of the spine, confirming the importance of the
new indication.
In addition to ongoing engagement throughout the
year with our advisory sites, Milestone conducted a follow-up
survey to gain feedback regarding the ‘real world’ use of the
technology. All provider sites participated in the survey and their
results further validated the clinical safety, predictability,
utility and efficacy of the use of CompuFlo.
For a new medical device, the process of
submission, including the handling of denials and appeals can be a
lengthy process for the physicians and their practice. Early
adopters using the CompuFlo® knowingly embarked on this pathway,
and I cannot express how grateful we are for the considerable time
and effort they have expended to support and advance our
technology.
Given that we started our reimbursement project
execution in the beginning of the second quarter of 2023, and being
respectful of the time that is required for going through this
process, which can take up to 6-9 months, we are now able to share
the data provided from the preliminary analysis. A review and
analysis of claims data shared by providers indicated that roughly
one-third of claims have already received positive payor
reimbursement. More than half of these payments were paid by
commercial payors, followed by Medicare. The remaining two-thirds
of the claims submitted are still pending adjudication.
Overall, I could not be more pleased with the
commercialization progress we have made, including the positive
clinical feedback we have received from the physicians and medical
institutions. In fact, as recently reported, University of Texas
Medical Branch (UTMB) Health Clear Lake Campus Hospital, recently
expanded the use of the CompuFlo® beyond the labor and delivery
department to now include our technology for epidural needle
placement and verification within the epidural space in spinal cord
stimulator implantation procedures. This follows a successful
evaluation process, reporting 100% success and a favorable review
by the value assessment committee.
In summary, I would like to extend my sincere
gratitude to all of our shareholders that have stood by as we
pushed through these monumental hurdles. We have not reached the
end of the road yet, but the achievement of our vision is in sight.
Moving into 2024, Milestone is focused on increasing the number of
CompuFlo providers in the US to further advance clinical
utilization of the CompuFlo technology. In addition, we remain
committed to accelerating patient access to this technology through
ongoing education and engagement with payors to attain consistent
coverage and reimbursement for this clinically valuable procedure.
We look forward to a number of exciting developments in the months
and years ahead and plan to keep investors fully apprised of our
progress.
Regards,Arjan Haverhals
About Milestone Scientific
Inc.
Milestone Scientific Inc. (MLSS) is a biomedical
technology company that patents, designs, develops and
commercializes innovative diagnostic and therapeutic injection
technologies and devices for medical and dental use. Since
inception, Milestone Scientific has engaged in pioneering
proprietary, innovative, computer-controlled injection
technologies, and solutions for the medical and dental markets.
Milestone Scientific has developed a
proprietary, revolutionary, computer-controlled anesthetic delivery
device, our DPS Dynamic Pressure Sensing Technology® System, to
meet the needs of various subcutaneous drug delivery injections and
fluid aspiration – enabling healthcare practitioners to achieve
multiple unique benefits that cannot currently be accomplished with
the 160-year-old manual syringe. The company’s proprietary DPS
Dynamic Pressure Sensing technology is a technology platform that
advances the development of next-generation devices. It regulates
flow rate and monitoring pressure from the tip of the needle,
through platform extensions for local anesthesia for subcutaneous
drug delivery, used in various dental and medical injections. It
has specific medical applications for epidural space identification
in regional anesthesia procedures. To learn more, view the MLSS
brand video or visit milestonescientific.com.
Safe Harbor Statement This
press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the
timing and financial impact of Milestone's ability to implement its
business plan, expected revenues, timing of regulatory approvals
and future success. These statements involve a number of risks and
uncertainties and are based on assumptions involving judgments with
respect to future economic, competitive and market conditions,
future business decisions and regulatory developments, all of which
are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which
are beyond Milestone's control. Some of the important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
indicated by the forward-looking statements are general economic
conditions, failure to achieve expected revenue growth, changes in
our operating expenses, adverse patent rulings, FDA or legal
developments, competitive pressures, changes in customer and market
requirements and standards, and the risk factors detailed from time
to time in Milestone's periodic filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including without limitation, Milestone's
Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2022. The
forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon
management's reasonable belief as of the date hereof. Milestone
undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any
forward-looking statements for any reason.
Contact:Crescendo Communications, LLCEmail:
mlss@crescendo-ir.comTel: 212-671-1020
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