New CPT code for novel AMD treatment effective July 1

Fremont, CA-NeoVista Inc. has announced that the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel has released a new Category III code for the company’s novel epiretinal beta radiation therapy to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The new CPT code, 0190T, will become effective July 1 and will be used with the code for performing a basic posterior vitrectomy, 67036.

The assignment of a Category III code is a step toward the issuance of a Category I code, which is used by physicians to bill for their services and is tied to payment rates under many insurers’ fees-for-service programs. During the Category III phase, the AMA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services collect data and assess new services and procedures. The data collected can be used in regulatory filings for a Category I code and for reimbursement following commercialization.

“We at NeoVista believe that our unique radiation therapy will eventually be shown to offer a less time-consuming and less-costly alternative for physicians who treat patients with wet AMD,” said John Hendrick, president and chief executive officer of NeoVista.

In the procedure, a pen-sized intraocular epiretinal device delivers strontium-90 radiation directly to the leaking vessels in the retina that affect central vision. The therapy is being tested in a pivotal trial, CABERNET. As the company grows, NeoVista expects to conduct controlled clinical trials of other uses for the procedure, including the treatment of cancerous tumors currently treated with radiation plaques.