NeuroMetrix Announces WellMed Medical Management’s Integration of NC-stat® DPNCheck™ Into Their Patient Evaluation ProgramWALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 15, 2012--
NeuroMetrix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NURO),
www.neurometrix.com,
a medical device company focused on the diagnosis and treatment of the
neurological complications of diabetes, reported today that WellMed
Medical Management, a
San Antonio, Texas-based diversified healthcare
company and healthcare provider, is integrating the NC-stat DPNCheck
into their patient evaluation program. WellMed plans to have NC-stat
DPNCheck in all their facilities, including more than 45 primary care
clinics in
Texas and
Florida, and at most of the independent physician
clinics in their service network. WellMed provides an innovative
healthcare delivery system for
Medicare-eligible patients. It is
recognized as an industry leader in medical risk management, highly
effective disease management and chronic care programs, and efficient
healthcare delivery services.
The NC-stat DPNCheck is a fast, accurate and quantitative point-of-care
test to detect systemic neuropathies, such as diabetic peripheral
neuropathy (DPN), at an early stage and to determine disease severity.
DPN affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and may lead to foot
ulcers and limb amputation, as well as pain and an overall reduction in
quality of life. Studies have shown that traditional clinical testing
methods, such as monofilament and vibration testing, are insensitive to
mild neuropathy, and may even miss later stage disease. This diagnostic
gap can lead to missed opportunities for intervention. Nerve conduction
studies (NCS) are recognized as the gold standard for detecting
neuropathy. Until the recent introduction of NC-stat DPNCheck,
widespread use of NCS in patients with diabetes was not feasible or
economically viable.
"The addition of the NC-stat DPNCheck to our patient evaluation protocol
will allow WellMed to accurately identify the patients with DPN and
concentrate our attention and efforts on the most at-risk patients,"
said Gary Piefer, MD, MsMM, FACPE, FAAFP, Chief Medical Officer at
WellMed Medical Management. "This innovative technology will advance
WellMed's mission to change the face of healthcare delivery for seniors
by providing quality, proactive patient care with a focus on prevention
by detecting nerve damage earlier and more reliably than alternative
approaches."
"We are pleased that WellMed Medical Management has chosen the NC-stat
DPNCheck for the evaluation of DPN in their patients," said Shai N.
Gozani, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, NeuroMetrix.
"NC-stat DPNCheck is ideal for health organizations such as WellMed that
are proactively focused on keeping their patients healthy and informed."
About NeuroMetrix
NeuroMetrix is an innovative medical device company that develops and
markets home use and point-of-care devices, associated consumables, and
support software for the treatment and management of diabetes and its
complications. The company is focused on nerve related complications of
diabetes, called diabetic neuropathies, which affect over 50% of people
with diabetes. If left untreated, diabetic neuropathies trigger foot
ulcers that may require amputation, cause disabling pain, and increase
the risk of falling in the elderly. The annual cost of diabetic
neuropathies has been estimated at $14 billion in the United States. The
company’s products are used by physicians and other clinicians, in
retail health settings such as pharmacies, and by managed care
organizations to optimize patient care and reduce healthcare costs. The
company markets the NC-stat® DPNCheck™ device, which is a
rapid, accurate, and quantitative point-of-care test for diabetic
neuropathy. This product is used to detect diabetic neuropathy at an
early stage and to guide treatment. The company is in late stage
development of SENSUS™, a pain management device that will be used to
treat painful diabetic neuropathy, a form of chronic intractable pain.
Currently, painful diabetic neuropathy is treated pharmacologically,
which is a $2 billion annual market. The company has additional
therapeutic products in its pipeline. For more information, please visit http://www.neurometrix.com.
Source: NeuroMetrix
NeuroMetrix, Inc.
Thomas T. Higgins, 781-314-2761
Chief
Financial Officer
neurometrix.ir@neurometrix.com
