SOLNA, Sweden, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Aerocrine AB (OMX Nordic Exchange: AERO) today announced that a group of prominent clinicians and researchers, all leaders in the field of asthma in the US, has issued a consensus paper recommending that inflammation monitoring using exhaled nitric oxide should be part of the routine clinical management of asthma in conjunction with other conventional methods. The points of clinical consensus were arrived at during a closed meeting held at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado.
The panel also notes that private payer resistance is still common, and some insurance carriers continue to refuse reimbursement for FENO testing on the grounds that it is investigational, experimental or unproven. However, the consensus panel disagrees with this stand, and believes that the data support the use of FENO in asthma management in conjunction with conventional tools.
"Understanding and controlling airway inflammation, the underlying cause of respiratory symptoms and asthma exacerbations, is important for the effective management of asthma," said Neal Jain, M.D., Allergist/Clinical Immunologist at Dean Health System, Madison, Wisconsin. "There is both over-treatment and under-treatment of asthma and this simple test makes it possible to provide asthma patients with the appropriate medication and dosage based on a patient's individual needs."
"NIOX MINO provides accurate, reproducible and immediate measurement of FENO, which is a non-invasive, simple and safe method to obtain a quantitative measure of steroid-responsive airway inflammation, that today helps physicians across the world to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs," said Chip Neff, President of Aerocrine Inc.
For more information, please visit www.aerocrine.com
Aerocrine AB is a medical technology company focused on the improved management and care of patients with inflammatory airway diseases. As the pioneer and leader in the technology to monitor and manage airway inflammation, Aerocrine markets NIOX MINO(R) and NIOX(R) Flex. Both products enable fast and reliable management of airway inflammation and may therefore play a critical role in more effective diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma. Aerocrine is based in Sweden with subsidiaries in the US, Germany and the UK. Aerocrine shares were listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange on 15 June 2007.
NIOX MINO(R) received 510(K) market clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use in May 2008. NIOX MINO is a hand-held device that provides accurate, reproducible, and immediate measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO), a validated method for assessing asthma-related airway inflammation.
For more information about NIOX MINO, and to view a video demonstration of how to use the device, please visit www.nioxmino.com or call (866) 275-6469.
Aerocrine AB
