Aclarion and ATEC Execute Strategic Partnership Agreement to Advance Commercialization of Nociscan
- Strategic partnership with Alphatec Spine, Inc. to integrate Nociscan technology into AlphaInformatiX platform
- Aims to improve clinical outcomes and reduce procedural costs for patients with chronic low back pain
- Exclusive distribution rights for Nociscan provided to ATEC in exchange for access to surgeon network
- Published trials confirm the comparative advantage of Nociscan in achieving differentiated surgical outcomes
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The strategic partnership between Aclarion and Alphatec Spine signifies a notable advancement in the field of spine surgery, particularly in the management of chronic low back pain (cLBP). Aclarion's Nociscan platform, which uses augmented intelligence to measure pain biomarkers in the lumbar spine, offers a revolutionary approach to identifying the source of pain. This technology could potentially disrupt the current diagnostic paradigm by providing a more objective and quantifiable method for pinpointing pain sources, which has traditionally been a subjective process fraught with uncertainty.
Integrating Nociscan with ATEC's AlphaInformatiX platform, which is based on EOS imaging, could enhance the precision of surgical planning and expectedly improve clinical outcomes. The potential reduction in overall procedural costs is a significant consideration, given the economic burden of cLBP on healthcare systems globally. The partnership's emphasis on Key Opinion Leader (KOL) engagement and evidence accumulation is a strategic move to foster clinical adoption and credibility within the medical community.
From an industry perspective, the success of this partnership could set a precedent for similar collaborations, driving innovation and potentially leading to a new standard of care in spine surgery. As such, stakeholders in the medical technology sector should closely monitor the clinical evaluations and market acceptance of this integrated solution.
The collaboration between Aclarion and ATEC could have significant implications for the spine surgery market. Chronic low back pain affects millions worldwide, representing a substantial market opportunity for both companies. The peer-reviewed publication citing an 85% success rate at two years for surgeries guided by Nociscan-identified discs versus a 63% success rate for other surgeries suggests a competitive advantage for Aclarion's technology.
If the technology gains traction and becomes a standard diagnostic tool, it could lead to market expansion and increased demand for both Aclarion's and ATEC's offerings. The exclusive distribution rights granted to ATEC could provide it with a unique selling proposition, potentially increasing its market share in the spinal surgery segment. However, the actual impact on sales and market dynamics will depend on the clinical trial outcomes, regulatory approvals and the speed of technology adoption by healthcare providers.
Investors and stakeholders should consider the potential for this partnership to drive long-term growth for both companies, while also being mindful of the risks associated with the adoption of new medical technologies, including regulatory hurdles and market acceptance challenges.
The economic implications of the Aclarion and ATEC partnership are multifaceted. Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is not only a prevalent condition but also one of the leading causes of disability and work absenteeism, contributing to significant direct and indirect costs. An effective diagnostic and treatment approach, such as the one proposed by the integration of Nociscan into the AlphaInformatiX platform, could result in substantial cost savings for healthcare systems and payers by reducing the need for multiple diagnostic tests, ineffective treatments and potentially lowering the incidence of reoperations.
From a broader economic perspective, improvements in the management of cLBP could lead to increased productivity and reduced disability-related expenses. The partnership's focus on reducing procedural costs is particularly relevant in the context of value-based care, where payment models are increasingly tied to patient outcomes rather than services rendered. It is important to note, however, that the adoption of new technologies often requires upfront investment and the long-term cost-effectiveness of such innovations must be rigorously evaluated through health economic studies.
Partnership aims to include Aclarion’s surgical decision support technology within ATEC’s AlphaInformatiX platform to better inform spine surgery
Aclarion’s Nociscan is the first augmented intelligence platform to measure pain biomarkers in the lumbar spine to help physicians identify the location of chronic low back pain
BROOMFIELD, CO, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Aclarion, Inc., (“Aclarion” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ACON, ACONW), a healthcare technology company that is leveraging biomarkers and proprietary augmented intelligence algorithms to help physicians identify the location of chronic low back pain, announced today that it has executed a strategic partnership agreement solidifying the previously signed non-binding Letter of Intent (“LOI”) with Alphatec Spine, Inc., the wholly owned operating subsidiary of Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATEC).
Uniting the unique structural information powered by ATEC’s AlphaInformatiX platform with the innovative biomarker data that enables Aclarion’s Nociscan solution to help identify potentially painful discs will provide surgeons with unprecedented data on one platform. That platform will be designed to improve clinical outcomes, while reducing overall procedural costs for patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP).
The agreement memorializes a multi-step strategic partnership in which ATEC and Aclarion have committed to work together to identify key opinion leader (KOL) surgeons to evaluate the Nociscan technology. Feedback from the surgeons will inform clinical evaluations designed to assess the utility of Nociscan in conjunction with EOS imaging, the foundation of ATEC’s AlphaInformatiX platform. As positive synergies emerge, ATEC and Aclarion intend to co-market Nociscan in targeted markets. In exchange for select access to ATEC’s surgeon network for the evaluation and advancement of Nociscan, Aclarion has agreed to provide ATEC with certain exclusive distribution rights to include Nociscan as part of an integrated procedural solution.
Pat Miles, Chairman and CEO of ATEC, commented, “Moving from our previously signed LOI to this agreement in just a matter of weeks demonstrates our shared vision for the solution we can create together. We share an intent to move through the phases of the agreement efficiently and have already identified internal leaders and resources to accomplish the first phase in the weeks to come. We believe in the importance of biochemical markers within the treatment paradigm and by partnering with Aclarion, we can progress toward a mutual objective to integrate and advance technologies that improve the predictability and reproducibility of spine patient care.”
Aclarion’s proprietary decision-support tool, Nociscan, is the first evidence-supported SaaS platform to noninvasively help physicians distinguish between painful and nonpainful discs in the lumbar spine. Nociscan objectively quantifies chemical biomarkers demonstrated to be associated with disc pain. Biomarker data is entered into proprietary algorithms to highlight if a disc may be a source of pain. When used with other diagnostic tools, Nociscan provides critical insights into the location of a patient’s low back pain, giving physicians clarity to optimize treatment strategies.
Aclarion’s published trials confirm the comparative advantage of Nociscan in achieving differentiated surgical outcomes. In April 2023, a peer-reviewed publication demonstrated that the success rate at two years for discogenic low back pain surgeries was
“With ATEC, our Nociscan solution can accelerate progress through our stated standard of care strategy,” said Brent Ness, CEO of Aclarion. “KOL advocacy, evidence accumulation, and increasing scan volume mirrors what we have agreed to in the first three phases of this agreement. The expertise, reach, and resources of our partner give us tremendous confidence that we will succeed. We believe that bundling Nociscan, which helps to identify the source of pain in an evaluation process, with the critical clinical data provided by ATEC’s AlphaInformatiX platform will lead to better outcomes - a thesis we intend to prove in the upcoming months.”
Chronic low back pain is a global healthcare problem that impacts approximately 266 million people worldwide. Conventional imaging and diagnostics provide valuable structural information but are limited in identifying the source of the pathogenic pain.
About Aclarion, Inc.
Aclarion is a healthcare technology company that leverages magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), proprietary signal processing techniques, biomarkers, and augmented intelligence algorithms to optimize clinical treatments. The Company is first addressing the chronic low back pain market with Nociscan, the first, evidence-supported, SaaS platform to noninvasively help physicians distinguish between painful and nonpainful discs in the lumbar spine. Through a cloud connection, Nociscan receives magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data from an MRI machine for each lumbar disc being evaluated. In the cloud, proprietary signal processing techniques extract and quantify chemical biomarkers demonstrated to be associated with disc pain. Biomarker data is entered into proprietary algorithms to indicate if a disc may be a source of pain. When used with other diagnostic tools, Nociscan provides critical insights into the location of a patient’s low back pain, giving physicians clarity to optimize treatment strategies. For more information, please visit www.aclarion.com.
About ATEC
Alphatec Holdings, Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Alphatec Spine, Inc., EOS imaging S.A.S. and SafeOp Surgical, Inc., is a medical device company dedicated to revolutionizing the approach to spine surgery through clinical distinction. ATEC’s Organic Innovation MachineTM is focused on developing new approaches that integrate seamlessly with the Company’s expanding AlphaInformatiX Platform to better inform surgery and more safely and reproducibly achieve the goals of spine surgery. ATEC’s vision is to be the Standard Bearer in Spine. For more information, visit us at www.atecspine.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 about the Company's current expectations about future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. Statements that are not historical facts, such as "anticipates," "believes" and "expects" or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the Company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. These and other risks and uncertainties are discussed more fully in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are encouraged to review the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as well as other disclosures contained in the Prospectus and subsequent filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Disclosure
The information stated above was prepared by Aclarion and reflects solely the opinion of Aclarion. Nothing in this statement shall be construed to imply any support or endorsement of Aclarion or any of its products by ATEC.
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