PRESS RELEASE

CMS Announces Final Decision for Coverage of Beta Amyloid PET

Assigning Beta Amyloid Coverage to each of the twelve MACs

 

Boston, October 13, 2023 – Life Molecular Imaging (LMI) acknowledges The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced their final coverage decision on beta amyloid Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in dementia and neurodegenerative disease diagnosis.

Previously, beta amyloid detection was covered under Coverage with Evidence Development (CED), allowing for one scan per patient per lifetime under CMS approved studies. Following  the announcement of additional registry usage for monoclonal anti-amyloid therapies, CMS opened a 30 day public comment period for the purpose of updating coverage policies for Beta Amyloid PET on July 17, 2023. After reviewing all comments, CMS has announced the following coverage decision:

CMS has decided to retire the beta amyloid PET CED allowing broad coverage to more than 65 million Medicare recipients. At this time, coverage decisions for beta amyloid detection has been assigned to each of the 12 Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC), along with individual Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. This process with the MACs will take some time. Please rest assured we will work closely with these entities to learn their individual policies and will continue to provide education and guidance as announcements are published.

Cynthia Herring, Head of Market Access and External Affairs of Life Molecular Imaging (LMI), expressed the significance of this decision: “This has been a long time coming. The need for early and accurate diagnosis for persons being evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease is so very critical, especially with the approval of new therapies”.

In anticipation of changes, please look for additional communications from us at LMI. Should you require assistance, you may contact your local representative or email LMI reimbursement team at: reimbursement@life-mi.com.

About Neuraceq® (florbetaben 18F)

Indication
Neuraceq® is a radioactive diagnostic agent indicated for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the brain to estimate beta amyloid neuritic plaque density in adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other causes of cognitive decline.

A negative Neuraceq® scan indicates sparse to no amyloid neuritic plaques and is inconsistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD at the time of image acquisition; a negative scan result reduces the likelihood that a patient’s cognitive impairment is due to AD. A positive Neuraceq® scan indicates moderate to frequent amyloid neuritic plaques; neuropathological examination has shown this amount of amyloid neuritic plaque is present in patients with AD but may also be present in patients with other types of neurologic conditions as well as older people with normal cognition. Neuraceq® is an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations.

Limitations of Use

  • A positive Neuraceq® scan does not establish the diagnosis of AD or any other cognitive disorder.
  • Safety and effectiveness of Neuraceq® have not been established for (i) predicting development of dementia or other neurologic conditions and (ii) monitoring responses to therapies.

Important Safety Information

Risk for Image Interpretation and Other Errors
Neuraceq® images should be interpreted independent of a patient’s clinical information. Physicians should receive training prior to interpretation of Neuraceq® images. Following training, image reading errors (especially false positives) may still occur. Additional interpretation errors may occur due to, but not limited to, motion artifacts or extensive brain atrophy.

Radiation Risk
Administration of Neuraceq®, like other radiopharmaceuticals, contributes to a patient´s overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Long-term cumulative radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk of cancer. It is important to ensure safe handling to protect patients and health care workers from unintentional radiation exposure.

Most Common Adverse Reactions
In clinical trials, the most frequently observed adverse drug reactions in 872 subjects with 1090 Neuraceq® administrations were injection site reactions, consisting of erythema (1.7%), injection site irritation (1.1%), and pain (3.4%).

For more information, visit: https://www.neuraceq.com

About Life Molecular Imaging (LMI)
Life Molecular Imaging (LMI, formerly Piramal Imaging) was formed in 2012 with the acquisition of the molecular imaging research and development portfolio of Bayer Pharma AG. By developing novel PET tracers for molecular imaging, LMI is focusing on a key field of modern medicine. The organization strives to be a leader in the Molecular Imaging field by developing innovative products that improve early detection and characterization of chronic and life-threatening diseases, leading to better therapeutic outcomes and improved quality of life. Please visit https://life-mi.com.

About Life Healthcare Group
Life Healthcare is a global people-centered, diversified healthcare organization listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Life Healthcare has over 38 years’ experience in the South African private healthcare sector, and currently operates 66 healthcare facilities in southern Africa. Services include acute hospital care, acute physical rehabilitation, acute mental healthcare, renal dialysis, and wellness, occupational health, primary health and emergency medical services. Visit: https://www.lifehealthcare.co.za/

For media queries
Brittany Hahn | Marketing Communications Manager | Life Molecular Imaging
Tel: +1.484.735.2840 |  b.hahn@life-mi.com

 

 

 

Neuraceq® - Product Indications And Use

PRODUCT INDICATIONS AND USE: Neuraceq is indicated for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the brain to estimate β-amyloid neuritic plaque density in adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other causes of cognitive decline. A negative Neuraceq scan indicates sparse to no neuritic plaques and is inconsistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD at the time of image acquisition; a negative scan result reduces the likelihood that a patient’s cognitive impairment is due to AD. A positive Neuraceq scan indicates moderate to frequent amyloid neuritic plaques; neuropathological examination has shown this amount of amyloid neuritic plaque is present in patients with AD, but may also be present in patients with other types of neurologic conditions as well as older people with normal cognition. Neuraceq is an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations.

Limitations: Limitations of Use
A positive Neuraceq scan does not establish the diagnosis of AD or any other cognitive disorder. The safety and effectiveness of Neuraceq have not been established for Predicting the development of dementia or other neurologic conditions or monitoring responses to therapies.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
CONTRAINDICATIONS: None

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

  • Risk for Image Misinterpretation and other Errors
    Errors may occur in the Neuraceq estimation of brain neuritic β-amyloid plaque density during image interpretation [see Clinical Studies (14)]. Image interpretation should be performed independently of the patient’s clinical information. The use of clinical information in the interpretation of Neuraceq images has not been evaluated and may lead to errors. Errors may also occur in cases with severe brain atrophy that limits the ability to distinguish gray and white matter on the Neuraceq scan. Errors may also occur due to motion artifacts that result in image distortion. Neuraceq scan results are indicative of the presence of brain neuritic β-amyloid plaques only at the time of image acquisition and a negative scan result does not preclude the development of brain neuritic β-amyloid plaques in the future.
  • Radiation Risk
    Neuraceq, similar to other radiopharmaceuticals, contributes to a patient's overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Long-term cumulative radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk of cancer. Ensure safe handling to protect patients and health care workers from unintentional radiation exposure [see Dosage and Administration.

ADVERSE REACTIONS:

  • The most commonly reported adverse reactions in clinical trials were injection site pain (3.4%), injection/appliucation site erythema (1.7%), injection site irritation (1.1%).

DRUG INTERACTIONS

  • Drug-drug interaction studies have not been performed in patients to establish the extent, if any, to which concomitant medications may alter Neuraceq image results.

USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

  • Pregnancy: All radiopharmaceuticals, including Neuraceq, have a potential to cause fetal harm depending on the stage of fetal development and the magnitude of the radiopharmaceutical dose. If considering Neuraceq administration to a pregnant woman, inform the patient about the potential for adverse pregnancy outcomes based on the radiation dose from the drug and the gestational timing of exposure.
  • Lactation: There are no data on the presence of florbetaben F 18 injection in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects of florbetaben F 18 injection on milk production. Exposure of Neuraceq to a breastfed infant can be minimized by temporary discontinuation of breastfeeding. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for Neuraceq and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from Neuraceq or from the underlying maternal condition.
  • Pediatric Use: Neuraceq is not indicated for use in pediatric patients.
  • Geriatric Use: No overall differences in safety were observed between older and younger subjects

OVERDOSAGE
A pharmacological overdose of Neuraceq is unlikely given the relatively low doses used for diagnostic purposes. In the event of administration of a radiation overdose with Neuraceq, the absorbed organ dose to the patient should be reduced by increasing elimination of the radionuclide from the body by inducing frequent micturition. Prior to Neuraceq administration, please read the full Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information.

SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS please report to: https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program

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