Companion Spine Announces FDA Premarket Approval (“PMA”) of the DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System for the Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease (“DDD”)

DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System is the first posterior motion-preserving device approved in the U.S. for the treatment of moderate to severe primary low back pain

A breakthrough treatment addressing both undertreatment and overtreatment in the current care pathway, with robust evidence demonstrating superiority over non-operative care

DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System has demonstrated substantial early and sustained pain relief and a positive safety and effectiveness profile, supported by more than 11 years of clinical data

Full FDA PMA received without requirement for post-approval confirmatory trial

MÉRIGNAC, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Companion Spine, the French-American specialist in surgeon innovated spine implant surgery, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) has approved the DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System (P240043). DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System is the first posterior motion-preserving device approved in the U.S. for the treatment of moderate to severe primary low back pain secondary to DDD at a single lumbar level (L2–L5) in patients who remain symptomatic after at least six months of non-operative care.



DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System was granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA in October 2021 as it is reasonably expected to address an unmet clinical need in a large and underserved patient population: those inadequately treated by non-operative care but not eligible for more invasive reconstructive procedures, such as spinal fusion.

“FDA PMA of DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System is a landmark moment in the evolution of Companion Spine as a company solely focused on Total Disease State Solutions™ for degenerative spine diseases,” said Anthony G. Viscogliosi, Chief Executive Officer of Companion Spine. “We have built this organization through strategic acquisitions and relentless innovation, focused on expanding the world’s largest portfolio of minimally invasive stabilization solutions. Since 1997, Dr. Jean Taylor’s DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System has helped patients across the world, and now, with FDA approval, it can also be shared with patients across the U.S. We thank him for his vision of better patient care and continue to pursue this goal of offering treatments that are faster, safer and more cost-effective, and that restore quality of life to those living with spine pain.”

FDA approval is based on comprehensive clinical evidence, including a prospective, randomized, multicenter Investigational Device Exemption (“IDE”) trial and long-term follow-up over an average of 11.5 years.

Key Clinical Findings:

  • DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System demonstrated superiority to non-operative care on the primary endpoint of composite clinical success (“CCS”) at 24 months:
    • 67.4% CCS with DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System vs. 11.9% with non-operative care
    • Bayesian posterior probability of superiority >0.999
  • Patients treated with DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System experienced rapid and sustained improvements across all clinical domains:
    • 77.0% Oswestry Disability Index (“ODI”) responder rate at 24 months
    • 83.2% back pain responder rate at 24 months
    • Durable improvements through an average of 11.5 years in the long-term follow-up cohort, with 86.4% ODI and 86.4% back pain responder rates
    • High and sustained treatment satisfaction, with 87% of the patient population willing to make the same choice 11.5 years later
  • Across the randomized cohort, DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System demonstrated:
    • Low rates of device-related serious adverse events: 1.6%
    • No device migrations or device failures reported through long-term follow-up of 11.5 years
    • 95.7% freedom from device removal at an average of 11.5 years

“Experience with DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System through the initial IDE study and then long-term, 11.5-year follow-up has been positive for both myself and the patients in the study,” said Alexander Bailey, M.D. “Relief of back pain has been significant and avoiding fusion for primary back pain has had long-term positive impact. It was great to see in all of the patients I implanted for the study, not a single one needed to be converted to a fusion and patients sustained clinical satisfaction through 10+ years follow-up. I look forward to being able to (once again) offer patients this technique to treat back pain from DDD that fails non-operative care and provide it as an alternative to fusion in select cases.”

“As a spine surgeon dedicated to improving the lives of patients suffering from low back pain, I am thrilled by the FDA's approval of this groundbreaking intervention,” said Matthew Gornet, M.D. “This is precisely the advancement we've been waiting for in the field of spinal care. Delivered through a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, it minimizes recovery time and disruption to daily life, while demonstrating minimal downstream, long-term adverse effects. I couldn't be happier to have this as a viable option in my arsenal.”

DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System offers a posterior motion-preserving, reversible, minimally invasive solution, designed to offload painful posterior elements while maintaining segmental mobility and leaving future surgical options open.

“We are delighted to bring this 20-year PMA journey to a successful close with a positive outcome,” said Nazanine Cloix, Chief Technology Officer of Companion Spine. “This milestone enables us to deliver early, meaningful and lasting relief to appropriately indicated patients in the U.S. with a solution that preserves both motion and anatomy. The FDA’s decision to grant approval without requiring a post-approval study underscores the strength of this evidence.”

Over the past two decades, more than 250,000 DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization Systems have been implanted in more than 200,000 patients and received regulatory clearance or market acceptance in 76 countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, India, Brazil and South Korea.

For more information, please visit https://companion-spine.com/diampatient/.

About Companion Spine
Founded in 2020 in New York, United States, and Bordeaux, France, Companion Spine is a global company specialized in the treatment of spine degenerative conditions using Posterior Dynamic Solutions™ and motion preserving technology while dynamically stabilizing the spine, preserving motion and reducing or eliminating spine pain. Our mission is to deliver patient-centered, evidence-based treatments that support individuals and their surgeons throughout the entire journey of degenerative disc disease (“DDD”) and lumbar spinal stenosis (“LSS”). We provide a comprehensive portfolio of SMART™ (Solution Based, Minimal Access, Reliable Technologies) solutions designed to address every stage of DDD and LSS. By matching each patient with the most appropriate stabilization and minimally invasive option for their specific condition, we aim to preserve spinal motion, protect natural anatomy, and maintain spinal health for as long as possible. Companion Spine is committed to advancing proven, thoughtful, and adaptable solutions that enable patients to stay active, mobile, and engaged in life. For more information, please visit: www.companion-spine.com.

About Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC
Viscogliosi Brothers is a family-owned New York City-based single family office dedicated to driving growth and innovation in the neuro-musculoskeletal industry. Established in 1999, the firm focuses on identifying and building groundbreaking innovations in healthcare, aiming to address unmet clinical needs, enhance patient outcomes, and drive cost efficiency in the healthcare system. Since its inception 26 years ago, Viscogliosi Brothers has founded, financed, operated and grown 46 businesses with operations and distribution across more than 80 countries. These businesses have positively impacted millions of patients with leading innovations in healthcare. The firm has led the transformation of multiple businesses in the spine industry specifically including: Spine Solutions, Spine Next, Paradigm Spine, K2M, Simplify Medical, Centinel Spine, Companion Spine, Spine BioPharma, Woven Orthopedics Technologies and VB Spine, among others. For more information, please visit: www.vbllc.com.

About Viscogliosi Brothers Watermark LLC (“VBW”)
Viscogliosi Brothers Watermark LLC is a New York City-based holding company specializing in investing in innovation within the MedTech sector. Founded in 2022, VBW is committed to creating wealth for its shareholders while enhancing humanity's well-being. With a portfolio-driven investment mandate and strategic expertise, VBW supports its invested entities through financing and manufacturing support capabilities. For more information, visit www.vbwholdings.com.

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Contacts

Anthony G. Viscogliosi
Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Companion Spine
aviscogliosi@vbllc.com

Nazanine Cloix
Chief Technology Officer, Companion Spine
nazanine.cloix@companion-spine.com

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