Healthcare Industry News: tissue matrix
News Release - May 2, 2012
The KCI Graftjacket(R) Regenerative Tissue Matrix Reimbursed by Medicare in Eight Midwestern States
Approximately 7.5 Million People Gain Access to Proven Safe, Effective Treatment Option for Diabetic Foot UlcersSAN ANTONIO--(Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network)--Kinetic Concepts, Inc. announced today that Medicare beneficiaries living in eight Midwestern states will now have access to the KCI Graftjacket® regenerative tissue matrix (RTM) for the treatment of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), one of the most debilitating complications from diabetes. Approximately 85 percent of all non-traumatic amputations are preceded by a non-healing foot ulcer.1
Graftjacket® RTM is an acellular dermal allograft marketed and sold by KCI for the treatment of wounds such as DFUs. It was recently approved for coverage and reimbursement by the Medicare contractor Wisconsin Physician Service (WPS Medicare).
The agreement affects Medicare beneficiaries in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. This agreement means approximately 7.5 million people now have access to a proven treatment option for DFUs.
“As a global leader in wound care technology, we applaud WPS Medicare’s decision to cover Graftjacket® RTM for the treatment of DFUs,” said Joe Woody, president & CEO, KCI. “Our expanding portfolio of products, which includes Graftjacket® RTM, provides patients and the physicians who treat them with some of the safest and most cost effective treatment options for chronic wounds.”
A randomized, controlled trial of Graftjacket® regenerative tissue matrix for wounds compared to standard-of-care wound management in healing diabetic foot ulcers demonstrated that 69.6% of patients with wounds (UT Grade 1/2) treated with a single application of Graftjacket® RTM achieved complete healing.* Mean time to healing was 5.7 weeks.2
Graftjacket® RTM is indicated for the repair or replacement of damaged or inadequate integumental tissue, such as diabetic ulcers, or for other homologous uses of human integument. Proprietary processing allows the body to accept Graftjacket® RTM and reduces the potential for a rejection response. Graftjacket® RTM provides immediate coverage to the wound and is readily repopulated with the patient’s own cells and revascularized by the body. Ultimately, Graftjacket® RTM acts as a scaffold that allows the body to convert the matrix to functional host tissue in ulcer repair.
For more information about KCI and Graftjacket® RTM, please visit www.kci1.com.
*Complete healing defined as 100% epithelialization without drainage.
About KCI
Kinetic Concepts, Inc. is a leading global medical technology company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of innovative, high-technology therapies and products for the wound care and therapeutic support system markets. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, KCI has significantly advanced the science of wound healing over the course of more than three decades. KCI’s success can be traced to a history deeply rooted in innovation and a passion for significantly improving patient outcomes while reducing the overall cost of care for patients around the world. KCI’s proprietary negative pressure technologies have revolutionized the way in which caregivers treat a wide variety of wound types. The V.A.C.® Therapy System has been used on more than 6 million wounds worldwide. Additional information about KCI and its products is available at www.KCI1.com.
1 Mayfield JA, Reiber, GE, Sanders LJ, et al. Preventive foot care for people with diabetes. Diabetes Car. 1998;21(12):2161-77. Review.
2 Reyzelman A, Crews RT, Moore JC, et al. Clinical effectiveness of an acellular dermal regenerative tissue matrix compared to standard wound management in healing diabetic foot ulcers: a prospective, randomised, multicentre study. Int Wound J 2009;6:196-208
Source: Kinetic Concepts
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