Boston Scientific’s Alair thermoplasty system wins CMS approval

Boston Scientific has had the clinical benefits of its Alair bronchial thermoplasty system ratified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the US.

The agency, which is responsible for administering the country's Medicare social insurance programme, has chosen to make the device eligible for Medicare reimbursement from the start of the month.

This decision reinforces the safety, efficacy and long-term health benefits of the product, which has been endorsed by the American Thoracic Society, a body representing more than 15,000 healthcare professionals.

Boston Scientific has already earned CE Mark approval for Alair, which is used in bronchoscopic procedures to deliver thermal energy to the airway wall, decreasing the passage's ability to constrict in order to reduce asthma attack frequency.

David Pierce, president of Boston Scientific's endoscopy division, said: "Bronchial thermoplasty offers a new advancement in the treatment of patients with severe asthma who are not well controlled despite taking recommended doses of asthma medications."

Last month, the company expanded its product range with the launch of the Charger PTA Balloon Catheter, a versatile device for peripheral angioplasty procedures.