Health insurance plans covering more than 97 million Americans now
provide positive coverage of Optune
Company Website:
http://www.novocure.com
ST. HELIER, Jersey -- (Business Wire)
Novocure (NASDAQ:NVCR) announced today that Anthem, Inc. now covers
Optune for members who have newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). Anthem,
the largest member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is one of
the nation’s leading health benefits companies with plans that cover
38.5 million lives.
Anthem’s positive coverage policy of Optune – a portable, noninvasive
device that delivers Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy to
patients with newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM – follows the December
2015 publication of Novocure’s EF-14 phase 3 pivotal trial data in
the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Anthem is the fourth and latest national commercial payer to issue a
positive coverage policy for Optune. In December 2015, Aetna, Inc.
released a medical coverage policy that affirmatively covers Optune for
the treatment of newly diagnosed GBM. Aetna is one of the top three
commercial payers in the U.S., covering 23.5 million lives. Cigna and
HealthNet – administering medical benefits for 14.5 million and 6
million lives, respectively – offer coverage of Optune for members who
have recurrent GBM. Additional commercial payers that offer positive
coverage policies for Optune include: Excellus Blue Cross and Blue
Shield, Medica, The Health Plan of the Upper Ohio Valley, and Priority
Health, which in total administer health plans covering 3.7 million
lives. Collectively, health plans covering more than 97 million
Americans now provide positive coverage of Optune.
“The recent positive coverage by Anthem and Aetna of Optune for newly
diagnosed glioblastoma signals that leading healthcare payers view
Optune as a medical necessity for newly diagnosed glioblastoma
patients,” said Asaf Danziger, Novocure’s CEO. “We are working
diligently to build awareness of our EF-14 trial results, now published
in JAMA, which show that Optune plus standard of care
significantly extended both progression-free and overall survival in
newly diagnosed GBM patients. Optune offers hope of a longer, better
quality life for patients who are diagnosed with this devastating
disease.”
About Tumor Treating Fields Therapy
Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy is delivered by a portable,
non-invasive medical device designed for continuous use by patients. In
vitro and in vivo studies have shown that TTFields therapy
slows and reverses tumor growth by inhibiting mitosis, the process by
which cells divide and replicate. TTFields therapy creates low
intensity, alternating electric fields within a tumor that exert
physical forces on electrically charged cellular components, preventing
the normal mitotic process and causing cancer cell death.
Approved Indications
In the United States, Optune is intended as a treatment for adult
patients (22 years of age or older) with histologically-confirmed
glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
In the United States, Optune with temozolomide is indicated for the
treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed, supratentorial
glioblastoma following maximal debulking surgery and completion of
radiation therapy together with concomitant standard of care
chemotherapy.
In the United States, for the treatment of recurrent GBM, Optune is
indicated following histologically-or radiologically-confirmed
recurrence in the supratentorial region of the brain after receiving
chemotherapy. The device is intended to be used as a monotherapy, and is
intended as an alternative to standard medical therapy for GBM after
surgical and radiation options have been exhausted.
In the European Union, Optune is intended for the treatment of patients
with newly diagnosed GBM, after surgery and radiotherapy with adjuvant
temozolomide, concomitant to maintenance temozolomide. The treatment is
intended for adult patients, 18 years of age or older, and should be
started more than four weeks after surgery and radiation therapy with
adjuvant temozolomide. Treatment may be given together with maintenance
temozolomide and after maintenance temozolomide is stopped.
In the European Union, Optune is also intended for the treatment of
patients with recurrent GBM who have progressed after surgery,
radiotherapy and temozolomide treatment for their primary disease. The
treatment is intended for adult patients, 18 years of age or older, and
should be started more than 4 weeks after the latest surgery, radiation
therapy or chemotherapy.
Patients should only use Optune under the supervision of a physician
properly trained in use of the device. Full prescribing information is
available at www.optune.com/safety
or by calling toll free 1-855-281-9301 in the US or by email at supportEMEA@novocure.com
in the European Union.
About Novocure
Novocure is a Jersey Isle oncology company pioneering a novel therapy
for solid tumors called TTFields. Novocure’s U.S. operations are based
in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and New York City. Additionally, the
company has offices in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan and a research
center in Haifa, Israel. For additional information about the company,
please visit www.novocure.com
or follow us at www.twitter.com/novocure.
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition, this
press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements provide Novocure’s current expectations or forecasts of
future events. These may include statements regarding anticipated
scientific progress on its research programs, development of potential
products, interpretation of clinical results, prospects for regulatory
approval, manufacturing development and capabilities, market prospects
for its products, and other statements regarding matters that are not
historical facts. You may identify some of these forward-looking
statements by the use of words in the statements such as "anticipate,"
"estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe" or other
words and terms of similar meaning. Novocure's performance and financial
results could differ materially from those reflected in these
forward-looking statements due to general financial, economic,
regulatory and political conditions as well as more specific risks and
uncertainties facing Novocure such as those set forth in its Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q filed on Oct. 27, 2015, with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of
these forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore,
you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements.
Furthermore, Novocure does not intend to update publicly any
forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Any
forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date hereof. The
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits this discussion.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160212005294/en/
Contacts:
Novocure
Ashley Cordova, 212 767 7558
acordova@novocure.com
Source: Novocure
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