Tactile Systems Technology, Inc._December 31, 2024
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
OR
☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission file number:001-37799
Tactile Systems Technology, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(612) 355-5100
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, Par Value $0.001 Per Share TCMD The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ◻No⌧
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ◻No⌧
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes⌧ No ◻
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes⌧ No ◻
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ◻ Accelerated filer ⌧
Non-accelerated filer ◻ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ⌧
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on $11.94, the closing price of the shares of common stock on June 28, 2024 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) as reported by The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC on such date, was $283,247,975. The number of shares of registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of February 14, 2025 was 23,585,175.
Portions of the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, scheduled to be held on May 7, 2025, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
Item 1. Business 5
Item 1A. Risk Factors 30
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 67
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 67
Item 2. Properties 68
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 68
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 68
PART II
Item 6. Selected Financial Data 71
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 82
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 84
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 115
Item 9B. Other Information 118
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 119
Item 11. Executive Compensation 119
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 119
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 120
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements regarding us, our business prospects and our results of operations that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties posed by many factors and events that could cause our actual business, prospects and results of operations to differ materially from those that may be anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those described in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in this report and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, that advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business.
All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including statements regarding our business, operations and financial performance and condition, as well as our plans, objectives and expectations for our business, operations and financial performance and condition, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "ongoing," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to:
● our ability to obtain reimbursement from third-party payers for our products;
● the impacts of inflation, rising interest rates or a recession;
● the adequacy of our liquidity to pursue our business objectives;
● adverse economic conditions or intense competition;
● price increases for supplies and components;
● wage and component price inflation;
● loss of a key supplier;
● entry of new competitors and products;
● compliance with and changes in federal, state and local government regulation;
● technological obsolescence of our products;
● technical problems with our research and products;
● our ability to expand our business through strategic acquisitions;
● our ability to integrate acquisitions and related businesses;
● the inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans.
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You should read the matters described in Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" and the other cautionary statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this report will prove to be accurate and therefore you are encouraged not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. You are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in this report and in other filings with the SEC that advise of the risks and factors that may affect our business. Other than as required by law, we expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments that we may make.
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RISK FACTORS SUMMARY
Our business, financial condition, and operating results may be affected by a number of factors, whether currently known or unknown. Any one or more of such factors could directly or indirectly cause our actual results of operations and financial condition to vary materially from past or anticipated future results of operations and financial condition. Any of these factors, in whole or in part, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and stock price. We have provided a summary of some of these risks below, with a more detailed explanation of the risks applicable to us in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report:
Risks Related to Our Business, Operations and Strategy
- Our long-term growth depends on awareness and adoption of our products.
Government Regulation, Compliance and Legal Risks
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Financial Condition, Credit and Tax Risks
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
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PART I
Item 1. Business.
Overview
Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. (“we,” “us,” and “our”) is a medical technology company that develops and provides innovative medical devices for the treatment of underserved chronic diseases. We were originally incorporated in Minnesota under the name Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. on January 30, 1995. During 2006, we established a merger corporation and subsequently, on July 21, 2006, merged with and into this merger corporation resulting in us being reincorporated as a Delaware corporation. The resulting corporation assumed the name Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. and in September 2013, we began doing business as “Tactile Medical”.
Our mission is to help people suffering from chronic diseases live better and care for themselves at home. We focus our efforts on advancing the standard of care in treating underserved chronic diseases in the home to improve patient outcomes and quality of life and help control rising healthcare expenditures. Our areas of therapeutic focus are (1) vascular disease, with a goal of advancing the standard of care in treating lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency, (2) oncology, where lymphedema is a common consequence among cancer survivors and (3) providing airway clearance therapy for those suffering from chronic respiratory conditions. We possess a unique, scalable platform to deliver at-home healthcare solutions throughout the United States. This evolving home care delivery model is recognized by policymakers and insurance payers as a key for controlling rising healthcare costs. Our solutions deliver cost-effective, clinically proven, long-term treatment for people with these chronic diseases.
We generally employ a direct-to-patient and -provider model within our lymphedema portfolio, through which we obtain patient referrals from clinicians, manage insurance claims on behalf of our patients and their clinicians, deliver our solutions directly to patients and train them on the proper use of our solutions. This model allows us to engage directly with patients and clinicians, which are both critical audiences to which we can provide clinical evidence and education. For our respiratory therapy products, we have a durable medical equipment (“DME”) distribution model, utilizing mature comprehensive respiratory DME provider representatives to service patients. We sell the AffloVest product to accredited DME providers, whose representatives gather and submit documentation for payer reimbursement, train patients on use of the device, and provide ongoing patient support.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we generated revenue of $293.0 million and had net income of $17.0 million. Our revenue increased 7% during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.
Lymphedema is a type of chronic swelling, or edema, which occurs in the arms, legs, neck, trunk or other body parts when the lymphatic vessels are unable to adequately drain protein-rich lymph fluid from these regions. Lymphedema is progressive in nature, worsens over time, and has no known cure. Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition that occurs when the venous wall and/or valves in the veins are not working effectively, making it difficult for blood to return to the heart from the affected region(s). Phlebolymphedema is the convergence of lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency. When the venous system does not effectively transfer blood from the lower limbs, it can result in venous hypertension and the development of painful, slow-healing wounds on the lower leg called venous leg ulcers. Venous hypertension can also lead to a marked increase in fluid build-up in the limbs, overwhelming the lymphatic system and causing lymphedema. Our proprietary Flexitouch, Entre and Nimbl systems are clinically proven at-home solutions for patients with vascular disorders such as lymphedema. Patients with lymphedema or chronic venous insufficiency are typically treated by vascular surgeons, vascular medicine physicians, oncology care teams, wound physicians, nurses and therapists.
Our current lymphedema products are the Flexitouch Plus, Entre Plus and Nimbl systems. A predecessor to our Flexitouch system received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) in July 2002, and we introduced the system to address the many limitations of self-administered home-based manual lymphatic drainage therapy. We began selling our more advanced Flexitouch system after
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receiving 510(k) clearance from the FDA in October 2006. In September 2016, we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for the Flexitouch system in treating lymphedema of the head and neck. In June 2017, we announced that we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for the Flexitouch Plus, the third-generation version of our Flexitouch system. In December 2020, we received 510(k) clearance for two new indications for our Flexitouch Plus system: phlebolymphedema and lipedema. We introduced our Entre system in the United States in February 2013 and the second generation, Entre Plus, in March 2023. The Entre Plus system is sold or rented to patients who need a simple pump or who do not yet qualify for insurance reimbursement for an advanced compression device such as our Flexitouch Plus system. Nimbl, our next generation pneumatic compression platform, received 510(k) clearance in June 2024 and, beginning in October 2024, is commercially available throughout the United States for treatment of upper extremity lymphedema. Sales and rentals of our lymphedema products generated $259.4 million, or 89%, of our revenue in 2024, and $241.7 million, or 88%, of our revenue in 2023.
On September 8, 2021, we acquired the assets of the AffloVest airway clearance product line. AffloVest is a portable, battery-powered, wearable vest that provides airway clearance to treat patients with chronic respiratory conditions such as bronchiectasis or conditions resulting from neuromuscular disorders. The AffloVest product line generated $33.6 million, or 11%, of our revenue in 2024 and $32.7 million, or 12%, of our revenue in 2023.
To support the growth of our business, we continue to invest in our commercial infrastructure, consisting of our direct sales force, DME sales team, patient education team, reimbursement capabilities and clinical expertise. We are a national, accredited provider of home medical equipment services approved for coverage by private payers, Medicare, the Veterans Administration and certain Medicaid programs in the United States. Our field commercial team is focused on increasing clinician awareness of our lymphedema solutions. As of December 31, 2024, we employed 169 account managers and 111 specialists for our lymphedema products and a team of 18 specialists supporting our airway clearance products. This compares to 150 account managers and 104 specialists for our lymphedema products and a team of 16 specialists supporting our airway clearance products as of December 31, 2023.
Our reimbursement function includes payer relations and reimbursement operations. Our payer relations function focuses on payer policy development, education, payer contract negotiations, and data analysis. Our reimbursement operations function is responsible for verifying patient insurance benefits, individual patient case development, prior authorization submissions, case follow-up, and appeals when necessary. Our clinical function, consisting of a scientific advisory board, in-house therapists and nurses, and our Chief Medical Officer, serves as a resource to clinicians and patients and guides our development of clinical evidence in support of our products. We believe these investments are critical to driving payer, clinician and patient adoption of our technologies, and together with our commercial infrastructure, represent a significant competitive advantage.
Health insurance coverage for our Flexitouch Plus, Entre Plus and Nimbl systems is in place with private payers, Medicare, the Veterans Administration and certain Medicaid programs. Based on our estimates, we are contracted or enrolled as an in-network provider with payers covering over 275 million lives in the United States. In 2024 we served over 79,000 patients with our compression therapy devices and cumulatively have served over 551,000 patients since they launched.
AffloVest also benefits from a relatively mature reimbursement landscape. Health insurance coverage is in place for High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (“HFCWO”) vest therapy with Medicare and most private insurers. Respiratory DME partners serve the role of receiving prescriptions, verifying coverage criteria, shipping, billing and training the patient.
Overview of Lymphedema and Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Lymphedema
The lymphatic system, a fundamental part of the cardiovascular system, consists of lymph vessels and lymph organs that protect the body against harmful bacteria and transport lymph fluid from the body’s tissues
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back to the cardiovascular system. Lymph vessels are thin-walled capillaries that absorb fluids, bacteria and proteins, and propel them to lymph nodes, small lymph organs that filter and process the lymph fluid by eliminating waste and bacteria. Lymph nodes are located in several areas of the body, including superficial and deep lymph nodes under each arm, at the hip, in the groin, above the collar bones in the neck, in the abdomen, tonsils and spleen, and in bone marrow. Lymph vessels and lymph nodes work together with larger lymph structures to help maintain a normal healthy fluid balance.
Lymphedema occurs when there is impairment to the lymphatic system, disrupting normal transport of lymph fluid within the body and causes severe and debilitating symptoms, including swelling, decreased mobility, skin breakdown, pain, increased risk of serious infection and marked psychosocial impairment, resulting in significant negative implications for a patient's health. When the lymphatic system becomes overwhelmed, damaged, or blocked for an extended period of time, lasting swelling (referred to as chronic edema) occurs. Symptoms related to lymphedema can present anywhere in the body, including the head, neck, arms, legs, trunk and genitals. For most patients with lymphedema, it has a negative impact on their quality of life. Performing daily activities of cooking, shopping, cleaning and yard work can often become difficult, if not impossible, for patients who suffer from lymphedema. For patients with head and neck lymphedema, critical functions such as swallowing, breathing and range of motion can be negatively impacted. Over time, the accumulation of lymph fluid can result in significant changes in the structure of the tissues, causing thickening and hardening of the skin, referred to as fibrosis. Recurrent skin infections such as erysipelas and cellulitis, a more serious skin infection, are common complications of lymphedema.
Lymphedema worsens over time if not properly treated, and currently has no known cure. When untreated, lymphedema can become painful and debilitating. The symptoms of lymphedema can be managed however, and patients who are educated about effective treatment options can improve their quality of life.
Misdiagnosis of lymphedema is common, and often patients do not get the medical care they need until significant symptoms have occurred. Proper diagnosis of lymphedema may require evaluation by a physician or other healthcare provider with knowledge of lymphedema and its visible symptoms. While not required to develop a lymphedema diagnosis, some clinicians may choose to perform diagnostic testing. Diagnostic tests for lymphedema include history and physical examination, soft tissue and vascular imaging, lymph node imaging and volume measurements. The International Society of Lymphology categorizes the progression of lymphedema from Stage 0, the least severe stage, to Stage 3, the most severe stage.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency and Phlebolymphedema
The most common form of lymphedema in the Western world is phlebolymphedema, a mixed etiology swelling due to chronic venous insufficiency (“CVI”) and lymphatic insufficiency. The inability of the lymphatic system to adequately drain the interstitial fluid that accumulates in severe chronic venous hypertension causes this ‘combined’ condition, phlebolymphedema. CVI is prevalent among patients who are obese or pregnant and may also be caused by high blood pressure, trauma, lack of exercise, smoking, deep vein thrombosis and inflammation of the vein walls. As the valves deteriorate, blood is no longer able to effectively travel in the normal direction, leading to increased pressure in the vascular system, stretching and dilating vessels, which exacerbates the problem. Prolonged or untreated chronic venous insufficiency may cause an increase in the buildup of interstitial fluid (the fluid surrounding cells), which in turn, can cause skin and tissue changes that can permanently damage the lymphatic system. As hypertension increases, more fluid is pushed out of the vascular system leading to swelling, progressive tissue breakdown, skin infections and venous leg ulcers. Ulcers develop in areas with edema as swelling interferes with the movement of oxygen and nutrients through tissues, and if left untreated, these ulcers can quickly become infected or even gangrenous. Physicians diagnose chronic venous insufficiency based on appearance, symptoms and imaging techniques and classify it based upon a scale endorsed by the Society for Vascular Surgery.
Market Opportunity
Lymphedema and CVI are costly and lifelong conditions with debilitating physical and psychological impacts on patients. Based on a study published in 2020 by Dr. Steven Dean of Ohio State Medical Center et al., it is estimated that more than 16 million people in the United States are living with lymphedema due to CVI. This, in addition to the estimated five million individuals living in the U.S. with cancer-related and primary
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lymphedema, increases the prevalence estimates to over 20 million individuals. For people with cancer, the build-up of lymph fluid can be caused by surgery, especially when lymph nodes are removed, radiation therapy that can damage lymph nodes and vessels, infections that damage surrounding tissue or cause scarring, and other conditions.
In the fourth quarter of 2016 we expanded the indications for use of the Flexitouch system. We received U.S. FDA clearance to market a first-of-its-kind system to treat patients suffering from lymphedema of the head and neck, a frequent consequence of head and neck cancer and its treatment. Patient symptoms often include significant skin changes, pain and discomfort, as well as difficulty breathing and swallowing. The American Cancer Society estimates that there are 430,000 survivors of head and neck cancers in the United States, and more than 65,000 new patients are diagnosed each year. In a 2016 clinical publication, researchers at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine estimated that more than 75% of patients with head and neck cancer develop lymphedema requiring treatment. Our Flexitouch head and neck system is the only pneumatic compression device with an indication to treat patients suffering from debilitating head and neck lymphedema and our therapy is protected with several patents issued in 2022. We estimate the market opportunity for our Flexitouch head and neck system is approximately $1 billion in the United States, which is based on 75% of the total number of patients suffering from cancers of the head and neck and our average selling price per device. In June 2020, a study published in Supportive Care in Cancer recognized the effectiveness of Flexitouch in treating patients with head and neck related lymphedema. The study, led by Vanderbilt University was a pilot randomized clinical trial reflecting statistically significant reductions in swelling, pain and improvements in the ability to swallow. In addition, in September 2021, we initiated a randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of our Flexitouch Plus system for the treatment of head and neck lymphedema. We believe this study will represent the largest randomized, controlled clinical trial ever conducted for the treatment of head and neck cancer-related lymphedema. Ten clinical sites participated in the trial that completed in 2024.
Traditional Treatment and Limitations
A traditional treatment for lymphedema is complete decongestive therapy consisting of manual lymphatic drainage, which is a specialized application of gentle pressure to the skin applied by a trained therapist that encourages drainage of lymph fluid, as well as decongestive exercises, skin care and compression with multilayered bandages, compression garments or pumps. Typically, this therapy begins with clinic visits three to five times per week for four to eight weeks, which is costly, inconvenient for the patient, and time consuming. Access to therapy clinics can also be limited, leading to many patients not completing their prescribed in-clinic treatments. Following the in-clinic visits, typically clinical improvement plateaus or reimbursement for the therapy ends, and patients transition to self-administered home-based care. Manual lymphatic drainage is difficult for patients to self-administer due to limited range of motion and treatment techniques that are difficult to replicate, and pump-based compression using simple pumps can be uncomfortable and has not demonstrated the clinical and economic benefits of our Flexitouch advanced pneumatic pump. To address these limitations, our at-home Flexitouch Plus system was developed to provide automated lymphatic drainage therapy through an advanced, easy-to-use, self-applied at-home system. Peer-reviewed, published studies have shown that our Flexitouch Plus system provides improved quality of life and clinical outcomes and delivers significant cost savings to payers and patients.
The standard of care treatment for CVI is compression therapy. Compression stockings and wraps are used to provide added pressure, increasing the effectiveness of the calf-muscle pump in returning blood to the heart. As the disease progresses, patients may develop a venous leg ulcer, which is commonly treated using multilayered bandages to minimize swelling and enhance blood flow. A clinician applies these typically non-removable bandages to patients at a precise pressure and patients wear the bandages between weekly visits to the wound clinic during which they are then removed and reapplied. Enhancing standard of care treatments for CVI with our pneumatic compression systems has been proven to reduce the recurrence of ulcer formations as well as recurrent skin infections (cellulitis) leading to better patient quality of life and lower overall cost of clinical care.
In 2022, three independent societies’ consensus endorsements were published in Phlebology: The Journal of Venous Disease. Experts from the American Venous Forum, American Venous and Lymphatic Society and Society for Vascular Medicine provided the consensus guidance on diagnosis and patient treatment pathways for lymphedema. Over a majority of the panel (92%) agreed with the statement that sequential
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pneumatic compression should be recommended for lymphedema patients, with 34% strongly agreeing. In addition, 72% of the panel agreed with the statement that all patients with CVI (stages C3-C6) should be considered as lymphedema patients, with 38% strongly agreeing.
Overview of Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis is a COPD-associated condition where the lung’s bronchi become inflamed, widened, permanently damaged and scarred. As more of the bronchial wall thickens, mucus gets trapped, creating a breeding ground for infection. The inability to fully clear mucus and pathogens from the lungs can result in a chronic cycle of infections and inflammation. Airway clearance therapies help break this vicious cycle and need to be used regularly to maintain a healthy respiratory system.
Market Opportunity
Bronchiectasis is one of the most common respiratory diseases with over 500,000 U.S. adults diagnosed and is estimated to be growing in the high single-digits annually. More than 16 million people in the U.S. are living with COPD and it is estimated that over 4 million of them may be affected by bronchiectasis. High frequency chest wall oscillation is used to treat bronchiectasis and over 70 other International Classification of Disease (“ICD”)-10 diagnosis codes.
Traditional Treatment and Limitations
Airway clearance therapy (“ACT”) utilizes physical or mechanical means of percussion or vibration to mobilize mucus and phlegm to facilitate airway clearance by coughing. ACT options include huff coughing, chest physiotherapy performed by a therapist or caregiver, active cycle breathing, positive expiratory pressure devices and HFCWO vests. These treatments need to be performed daily to support bronchial hygiene for at-risk respiratory patients. Adherence to treatments and effectiveness of treatments are a significant challenge for patients with these chronic conditions.
AffloVest is a HFCWO therapy vest that has eight anatomically positioned oscillating motors that create individual pressure waveforms to target all lobes of the lungs to loosen, thin and mobilize lung secretions.
Our Strategy
Our goal is to become the leader in the at-home treatment of select underserved chronic diseases. We intend to leverage our established product, service and fulfillment platforms to be a global provider of clinically proven easy-to-use and cost-effective solutions. The key elements of our strategy include:
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Our Products
We market Flexitouch Plus, Entre Plus and Nimbl systems as at-home therapies for the treatment of lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency. We market AffloVest as an at-home therapy intended to promote airway clearance. These products have received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to be marketed in the United States. We believe our products have unique features and benefits that address the shortcomings of traditional treatments, are more cost-effective and enable more consistent and effective therapy, leading to enhanced patient quality of life, improved clinical outcomes and reduced cost of care.
Flexitouch Plus System
Our Flexitouch Plus system is a fully automated, programmable, advanced pneumatic compression device, or APCD, designed for treatment of lymphedema in the home setting. Our Flexitouch Plus system has received 510(k) clearance for the treatment of lymphedema, phlebolymphedema, lipedema, certain types of other edema, venous insufficiencies and certain types of leg ulcers. We introduced our first-generation Flexitouch system in the United States in 2003, our second-generation Flexitouch system in 2006, and our third-generation Flexitouch system, the Flexitouch Plus, in 2018. The mechanism of action of our patented Flexitouch Plus system is designed to stimulate the lymphatic system similar to manual lymphatic drainage therapy, the current standard of care in patient treatment. By automating this technique, we believe our system offers an effective, cost-efficient, convenient and accessible at-home treatment for patients.
Our Flexitouch Plus system consists of an electronic controller unit that offers 17 treatment settings and multiple contoured garment configurations for the trunk, chest, head, neck and the arm or leg. Our Flexitouch Plus is the only pneumatic compression system offering the flexibility for treating upper and lower extremities, the trunk and chest, and the head and neck. The electronic controller is a pneumatic compressor with four connector outlets. Each connector has eight outflow ports into which the garment hoses are connected. Our unique garments contain up to 32 air chambers, are made of a soft, pliable fabric and are designed with zippers and hook-and-loop fasteners to fit snugly around affected areas for maximum comfort and optimum pressure delivery. The garments come in a variety of sizes that can be easily adjusted to patients of all sizes. When our system is activated, air passes through the hoses, delivering sequential inflation and deflation to the
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garments and applying gentle pressure to the skin. The inflation sequence is designed to stimulate the lymphatic system, moving lymph fluid from the impaired areas toward healthy regions of the body.
The electronic controller unit adjusts the amount of pressure and the timing of the pressure and release cycles. This unit is lightweight and easily portable, providing maximum convenience for at-home treatment. A typical therapy session using our Flexitouch Plus system lasts up to one hour, with additional treatment options available if prescribed by a clinician. Beginning in November 2022, Flexitouch Plus controllers include Bluetooth capability that enables therapy data from the controller to be reported through Kylee, a companion application.
Entre Plus System
We introduced our Entre system in the United States in February 2013 to offer a lightweight, portable pneumatic compression solution for patients with cognitive or dexterity issues who need a basic (simple) pump or for patients who do not yet qualify for insurance coverage of an advanced compression device such as our Flexitouch Plus system. Our Entre system is a basic pneumatic compression device used for the at-home treatment of venous disorders including lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency, including venous leg ulcers. Our Entre system is a pump with garments covering the arm or leg with eight chambers that inflate in sequence and remain inflated for a preset time period. In 2023, our second-generation system, Entre Plus, was introduced.
Nimbl
Nimbl, our next generation pneumatic compression platform, received 510(k) clearance in June 2024, and beginning in October 2024, is commercially available throughout the United States for the treatment of upper extremity lymphedema. Improving on the Entre Plus garments, the Nimbl system has reduced hose and harnesses while maintaining the eight chambers that inflate in sequence for treatment. Nimbl controllers include Bluetooth capability that enables therapy data from the controller to be reported through Kylee, a companion application.
Kylee
In 2022, we introduced KyleeTM, a free mobile application to help patients learn about lymphedema, track their symptoms and treatment, and share their progress with their doctor. The purpose behind Kylee is to help support and encourage patients to embrace self-care and become more educated about their condition. Our customers can use Kylee to track their orders for our devices and view onboarding tutorials for using the device. Once a patient starts using the device, they can use Kylee to record their treatments and symptoms, and capture photos of their condition for sharing with their healthcare team. Flexitouch Plus and Nimbl controllers include Bluetooth technology, which is viewable using Kylee.
AffloVest
We acquired the AffloVest business in September 2021. The AffloVest is the first truly portable high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) vest. The device is battery-powered and affords patients the ability to ambulate while receiving treatment, as well as increases the likelihood that their treatment will travel with them. The AffloVest treats patients with retained pulmonary secretions resulting from bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis and a host of neuromuscular disorders. The AffloVest offers various treatment modes and intensities. The user can set and store their personalized default treatment settings. Our AffloVest system has received 510(k) clearance as a HFCWO device and is intended for promoting airway clearance and improvement of bronchial drainage by enhancing mobilization of bronchial secretions where manipulation of the thorax is the physician’s choice of treatment.
Clinical Results and Studies
Overview
A key part of our success is our ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of our products by funding studies that generate clinical and economic outcome data supporting our products. We have developed a
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significant body of clinical data supporting the efficacy and safety of our products. We intend to continue to invest in additional studies to support peer-reviewed, published articles that evidence the clinical and economic benefits of our solutions as compared to traditional treatments. To date, more than 25 studies regarding the safety and efficacy of our products have been completed, in which over 2,100 subjects have been included.
Economic Impact of our Flexitouch System in Patients with Phlebolymphedema
A retrospective longitudinal matched case-control analysis of de-identified private insurance claims published by the Journal of Vascular Surgery in 2018 indicated significant benefits attributable to our Flexitouch system as compared to alternative compression therapies currently employed to help reduce the notable economic burden of phlebolymphedema (chronic venous insufficiency-related lymphedema). The study used administrative claims data from Blue Health Intelligence for the years 2012 through 2016. Patients were required to be continuously enrolled in the health plan for at least 18 months, diagnosed with phlebolymphedema, and had received at least one claim for conservative therapy either alone or in addition to a pneumatic compression device, or PCD. The main outcomes included direct phlebolymphedema- and sequelae-related medical resource utilization and costs.
Prior to case matching, 1,065 patients met these criteria. After case matching, the study included: 86 patients using conservative therapy matched with 87 patients on Flexitouch; 34 patients on simple PCDs, or SPCDs, matched with 23 patients on Flexitouch; and 69 patients on other advanced PCDs, or APCDs, matched with 67 patients on Flexitouch. Compared with conservative therapy alone, Flexitouch patients were associated with 69% lower per patient per year total phlebolymphedema- and sequelae-related costs net of any PCD-related costs ($3,839 vs $12,253; P=0.001). This was driven by 59% fewer mean annual hospitalizations (0.13 vs 0.32; P<0.001) corresponding to 82% lower inpatient costs and 55% lower outpatient hospital costs. Flexitouch patients were also associated with 52% lower outpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy costs and 56% lower other outpatient-related costs. Compared with SPCDs, Flexitouch was associated with 85% lower total costs ($1,153 vs $7,449; P=0.008) driven by 93% lower inpatient costs ($297 vs $4,215; P=0.002), 84% lower outpatient hospital costs ($368 vs $2,347; P=0.020), and 85% lower other outpatient-related costs ($353 vs $2,313; P=0.023). Compared with other APCDs, Flexitouch was associated with 53% lower total costs ($3,973 vs $8,436; P=0.032) because of lower outpatient costs and lower rates of cellulitis infections (22.4% vs 44.9% of patients; P=0.02).
Impact on Clinical Outcomes and Healthcare Costs with Use of our Flexitouch System
A retrospective study published by the American Medical Association in JAMA Dermatology demonstrated significant improvement in key clinical endpoints and immediate cost reductions for individuals with lymphedema following receipt of our Flexitouch system. The study was conducted in the United States and included 718 patients with a lymphedema diagnosis who had continuous insurance coverage during the 12 months prior to and the 12 months after receiving our Flexitouch system from 2007 through 2013.
The study evaluated a broad, clinically relevant set of healthcare use outcomes for each patient for the 12 months before and the 12 months after receipt of our Flexitouch system, including cellulitis infections, inpatient hospitalizations, physical therapy and outpatient hospital visits. Receipt of our Flexitouch system was associated with a significant decline in the rate of cellulitis diagnosis in the cancer-related lymphedema patients of 79% (from 21.1% to 4.5%; p<0.001) and in the non-cancer-related lymphedema patients of 75% (from 28.8% to 7.3%; p<0.001). The inpatient hospitalization rate declined 22% in the cancer-related group (from 2.7% to 2.1%; p=0.63) and declined 54% in the non-cancer-related group (from 7.0% to 3.2%; p=0.02). The manual therapy rate decreased 30% in the cancer-related lymphedema patients (from 35.6% to 24.9%; p=0.001) and decreased 34% in the non-cancer-related lymphedema patients (from 32.3% to 21.2%; p=0.001). In addition, outpatient hospital visits declined 29% in the cancer-related patients (from 58.6% to 41.4%; p<0.001) and 40% in the non-cancer-related patients (from 52.6% to 31.4%; p<0.001).
The study also reviewed lymphedema-related healthcare costs for each patient in the study for the 12 months before and the 12 months after receipt of our Flexitouch system. Among the cancer-related lymphedema patients, total costs per patient, excluding durable medical equipment costs, were reduced by 37%, from $2,597 to $1,642 (p=0.002) following receipt of our Flexitouch system. The greatest contributor to this change was a 54% reduction in outpatient hospital costs from $1,517 to $694 (p<0.001). Total costs per
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non-cancer-related lymphedema patient, excluding durable medical equipment costs, were reduced by 36% from $2,937 to $1,883 (p=0.007). Outpatient hospital costs for the non-cancer patients declined by 65% from $1,726 to $606 (p<0.001).
Flexitouch System Impact on Limb Volume and Patient-Reported Outcomes
A prospective study published in the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery demonstrated that use of our Flexitouch system is associated with statistically significant reduction in limb volume, improvement in quality of life and no significant adverse effects. The study was conducted in the United States and collected data from a patient registry required by a third-party payer for 196 patients with lower extremity lymphedema who were prescribed our Flexitouch system from January 2009 to May 2012. The primary objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of our Flexitouch system in reducing lower extremity limb volume, with a secondary objective of evaluating clinician-assessed and patient-reported outcomes.
Use of our Flexitouch system was associated with a statistically significant reduction in limb volume with 88% of patients experiencing a reduction in limb volume and with 35% enjoying a substantial reduction in limb volume of greater than 10%. Twelve percent of patients experienced an increase in limb volume. Clinician assessment indicated that the majority of patients experienced improvement in the condition of their skin. Eighty-six percent of the patients exhibited a reduction in skin hardening (fibrosis) based on manual assessment of the skin. Based on clinical observation of function, 85% of patients demonstrated an increased ability to perform activities of daily living. Additionally, 77% of patients demonstrated improved range of motion.
Patients reported a significant increase in their ability to control lymphedema through treatment with our Flexitouch system, with an increase in function and a reduction in pain. Of the 98 patients who responded, 70% reported being "very satisfied" with the treatment by our Flexitouch system and 30% reported being "satisfied" with the treatment by our Flexitouch system.
Comparison of our Flexitouch System with Simple Pneumatic Compression Devices
A prospective, randomized controlled trial published in Supportive Care in Cancer demonstrated that our Flexitouch system provides better clinical outcomes as compared to those achieved with a simple pneumatic compression device for home-based treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema. The study was conducted in the United States and involved 36 patients. The number of participants in this study is considered to be a small sample size and a limitation of the study. However, it is one of the only published randomized controlled trials comparing PCDs, and we believe is currently the only published study of PCDs that reported comprehensively on adverse events. The patients were randomized to our Flexitouch system or a simple pneumatic compression device used for home treatment of one-hour per day for 12 weeks. The simple pneumatic compression device used in the study was a Bio Compression 2004 Sequential Circulator pneumatic compression device. The primary objective of the study was to determine whether our Flexitouch system provides better outcomes, as measured by arm edema and tissue water reductions, compared to a simple pneumatic compression device in patients with arm lymphedema. The study does not reflect a comparison of our Flexitouch system to a product that is billed under the same Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, or HCPCS, Code as our Flexitouch system.
Thirty-six patients with unilateral upper extremity lymphedema with at least 5% arm edema volume at the time of enrollment completed treatments over the 12-week period, with 26 patients being evaluated for edema volume change and 28 patients being evaluated for changes in arm tissue water content. Arm edema volumes were determined from arm girth measurements and suitable model calculations, and tissue water was determined based on measurements of the arm tissue. The patients were randomized into two groups of 18 patients each, with one group receiving treatment with our Flexitouch system and the other group receiving treatment using a simple pneumatic compression device. The group using our Flexitouch system experienced an average reduction in edema of 29% compared to a 16% increase in the group using a simple pneumatic compression device.
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Study of Patient-Reported Satisfaction with Use of our Flexitouch System
A retrospective study published in the Oncology Nursing Forum demonstrated that patients using our Flexitouch system were satisfied with the device and perceived it to be beneficial in managing their lymphedema. The study was conducted in the United States and involved 155 patients with lymphedema whose treatment was initiated from March 2004 to May 2006. The primary objective of the study was to compare treatment protocol adherence, satisfaction and perceived changes in emotional and functional status between patients with cancer-related lymphedema and non-cancer-related lymphedema using our Flexitouch system.
Ninety percent of the 155 study patients reported being "satisfied" with our Flexitouch system. Of these patients, more than 65% reported being "extremely satisfied." Further, 95% of patients reported a positive limb volume outcome, which was defined as a patient perceiving that limb volume had been maintained or reduced with device use. Of these patients, 42% reported limb volume decreases as much as 20%, and an additional 20% reported decreases of less than 20%. In addition, clinically and statistically significant improvements occurred in all areas of physical and emotional health (p<0.006).
Flexitouch System Impact on Patient-Reported Improved Quality-of-Life
A prospective observational study published in Annals of Vascular Surgery demonstrated that use of our Flexitouch system is associated with patient-reported overall improvement in quality-of-life and lower extremity-related symptoms. The study was conducted in the United States and collected data from patients presenting for treatment of lower-extremity lymphedema from March 2011 to September 2014. A total of 100 consecutive patients with lower-extremity lymphedema met inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The primary objective of the study was to demonstrate improved quality-of-life in patients with lower-extremity lymphedema with Flexitouch system treatment. The secondary objective was to demonstrate reduced infectious complications of lymphedema with Flexitouch system treatment, and to determine the incidence of concomitant venous insufficiency in patients with lymphedema.
Use of our Flexitouch system was associated with overall improvement in lower extremity-related symptoms, with 54% of patients reporting greatly improved symptom control after use of our Flexitouch system, 35% moderately improved and 11% mildly improved. In the year before use of our Flexitouch system, 15% of the patients reported 26 episodes of cellulitis, which decreased to five episodes after initiation of the Flexitouch system (P=0.002) in subsequent median follow-up of 12.7 months. Eight percent of patients reported skin ulceration of the affected extremity in the year before presentation for treatment. The number of lower-extremity ulcers pre- and post-Flexitouch system use decreased from seven to two (P=0.007). Overall, 46% of the patients had complete limb girth measurements at the ankle and calf, and there was a statistically significant decreased overall limb girth after Flexitouch system treatment in pre- and post-ankle (28.3 cm vs. 27.5 cm, P=0.01), and calf mean girths (44.7 cm vs. 43.8 cm, P=0.018). In addition, venous reflux was present in 18% of patients, 14% and 4% within the superficial and deep venous system respectively. In patients with venous reflux, moderate to great improvement in symptoms was reported in 7% and 11%, respectively compared with 28% and 43% in patients without venous reflux (P=0.257).
Advanced Pneumatic Compression for Treatment of Lymphedema of the Head and Neck
An open label, randomized wait-list controlled trial published in the Supportive Care in Cancer journal supported the safety and feasibility of the Flexitouch system APCD for the treatment of secondary lymphedema in head and neck cancer, or HNC, patients. This study was conducted in the United States and included 49 head and neck cancer patients. Eligible patients had completed treatment for HNC, were disease free, and had lymphedema at enrollment. Participants were randomized to wait-list lymphedema self-management (standard of care) or lymphedema self-management plus the use of the APCD bib. Safety (CTCAE V4.0) and feasibility were primary endpoints; secondary endpoints included efficacy measure by objective examination and patient reported outcomes (symptoms, quality of life, function) adherence barriers, and satisfaction. Assessments were conducted at baseline and weeks 4 and 8.
No device-related serious adverse events were reported. Most patients used the APCD once per day, instead of the prescribed twice per day, citing time related factors as barriers to use. Patients in the intervention group reported improvement in perceived ability to control lymphedema (baseline: 5/19, 26% good or excellent;
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8 weeks: 16/19, 84% good or excellent, p=0.003) and visible external swelling (front view p<0.001, right view p=0.004, left p=0.005), as well as less reported pain. Relative to patients in the control group, at 8-weeks patients using the Flexitouch system had statistically significant reductions in the reported severity of soft tissue (p=0.008, d =−0.86) and neurological symptoms (p=0.047, d=−0.60) clusters on the Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Survey-Head and Neck. Relative to patients in the control group, patients using the Flexitouch system had statistically significant improvement in swallowing solids (p=0.016) and mucous related symptoms (p=0.050, d=−0.80 and −0.57 respectively) on the Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey plus General Symptom Survey.
AffloVest Clinical Evidence
The use of the AffloVest in patients with cystic fibrosis (“CF”) has been studied and reported on in non-peer reviewed journals. In 2016, a prospective study was conducted of 25 patients who were asked to augment their current airway treatment regimen with the AffloVest. These patients ranged from 11 to 18 years old and used AffloVest for periods of one month to almost a full year. Twelve patients demonstrated measurable improvement in multiple lung function tests: Forced Vital Capacity (“FVC”) increased 15.22%, Forced Expiratory Volume 1 (“FEV1”) increased 17.41% and Forced Expiratory Flow (“FEF”) 25-75% increased 11.21% respectively. Eleven of the 12 patients who demonstrated positive improvement in their lung scores, and in whom those scores were maintained for nearly one year, had been using air bladder style vests previously. The remaining 13 patients saw no significant increase, and no decrease, in lung function.
A prospective, single-site study was published in Respiratory Therapy in 2018 and compared the impact of traditional compressor/bladder-style HFCWO vests with that of the mobile, battery-powered AffloVest on lung function measures in 32 healthy patients. The results showed no significant difference between the technologies in increased airflow in the lungs during treatment. AffloVest performed favorably to traditional vests in that it produced no significant decline in forced vital capacity or forced expiratory volume, while the traditional vests did show statistically significant declines in these measures.
In 2020, a chart review study of 30 patients compared the need for antibiotic therapy due to exacerbation, based on the number of prescriptions, emergency room visits and hospitalizations in the period approximately six months before each patient started AffloVest HFCWO therapy compared to the period six months after initiating AffloVest HFCWO therapy. The results showed a 96.2% reduction in hospitalizations, 82.4% reduction in emergency room visits, and 87.3% reduction in antibiotic usage for the post-AffloVest group.
In 2023, a patient preference study was published demonstrating a strong preference for the AffloVest over traditional bladder-style vests. 93% of symptomatic adults preferred the AffloVest to bladder-style vests and 90% reported the AffloVest therapy would fit with their lifestyle. The independent, randomized study of 30 vest-naïve adults was published in RT Magazine in June 2023.
Sales and Marketing
Unlike many of our competitors, we generally utilize a direct-to-patient and -provider model to market our lymphedema products directly to patients and clinics, providing high-quality customer service and capturing both the manufacturer and distributor margins for the majority of this business. The direct channel allows us to focus on three of our primary call points, vascular, therapy and oncology.
For AffloVest, we utilize the respiratory DME channel as our go-to-market method. Our utilization of DME provider representatives gives us access to a larger channel than competitors that market and sell directly. The respiratory DME channel also already serves the chronic respiratory community, enabling them to identify complex respiratory candidates who are regularly on other respiratory therapies (such as oxygen, nebulizers,
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non-invasive ventilators, etc.) and who might benefit from the use of our AffloVest. The below chart reflects these models:
Our direct-to-patient and -provider lymphedema business is composed of a direct sales force, patient training and support, reimbursement capabilities and clinical expertise to educate, expand awareness, coordinate referrals and obtain payment for our products.
The chart below describes our U.S. direct-to-patient and -provider model for the majority of our lymphedema business.
We sell the AffloVest to DME providers in the U.S. whose representatives service patients and bill third-party payers for the product. The DME provider representatives obtain the prescription and coordinate with patients and payers to determine insurance eligibility and payment. These DME providers are staffed by trained respiratory therapists who are required in some states to set up patients on at-home prescription respiratory therapies like AffloVest. We market to, and educate, DME provider representatives and clinicians about the AffloVest advantages. As of December 31, 2024, we also employed a small group of respiratory specialists, who educate DME provider representatives, provide product demonstrations for targeted clinicians and support technical questions related to the AffloVest.
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The chart below describes our DME model.
As of December 31, 2024, we employed 298 account managers and specialists who provide support throughout the United States for our lymphedema and respiratory therapies compared to 270 account managers and specialists as of December 31, 2023.
Our marketing team leads our efforts in brand development, product messaging, tradeshow attendance, medical educational forums, website development, social media and advertising.
Reimbursement, Payer Relations and Customer Support Process
Private insurers and other payers represented approximately 60% and 54% of our revenue in 2024 and 2023, respectively, while Medicare represented approximately 18% and 24% of our revenue in 2024 and 2023, respectively, Veterans Administration hospitals represented approximately 11% and 10% of our revenue in 2024 and 2023, respectively, and DME distributors represented approximately 11% and 12% of our revenue in 2024 and 2023, respectively. When we sell our solutions directly to patients, we generally bill third-party payers, such as commercial insurance or Medicare, on behalf of our patients and bill the patient for their copayment obligations and deductibles.
As a nationwide provider, we have developed a broad expertise in obtaining billing codes, in-network contracts, developing coverage policies, overcoming payer barriers and obtaining authorization and payment from payers across all regions of the United States. Our model utilizes our strategic and operational reimbursement proficiency to meet the varying requirements of hundreds of payers across the country.
Our reimbursement function includes payer relations and reimbursement operations. Our payer relations function focuses on payer policy development and education for our entire portfolio, as well as contract negotiations for our direct business, and data analysis. Our reimbursement operations function is responsible for verifying patient insurance benefits, individual patient case development, prior authorization submissions, case follow-up, gathering documentation from clinics, and appeals when necessary. The reimbursement operations function is organized into regions so that each case is handled throughout the process by experts in specific payer requirements.
We have strong and established payer relationships, including most of the largest private payers in the United States. Based on our estimates, we are contracted or enrolled as an in-network provider with payers covering nearly 275 million lives. These contracts allow us to be an in-network provider for patients, enabling them to access our systems at a competitive rate and copay comparable to other suppliers and easing our administrative burden in processing authorizations and claims. For the last several years we have enjoyed an
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80% or greater approval rate on commercial payers and 90% or greater approval rate on Medicare claims submitted (across all our products). We began doing business with Medicare in 2007. We have an in-depth understanding of specific payer coverage criteria, and our submission materials are tailored to address an individual payer's distinct requirements. Our dedicated customer service team is available to answer patient questions regarding reimbursement, account status, device operation and troubleshooting during normal business hours. We receive no additional reimbursement for patient support, but provide high-quality customer service and continuity to enhance patient comfort, satisfaction, compliance and safety with our products.
Our Flexitouch Plus system controller is reimbursed under HCPCS code E0652, and our Entre Plus and Nimbl system controllers are each reimbursed under HCPCS code E0651. Garments that cover various parts of the body are used with these systems and billed using HCPCS codes E0656, E0657, E0667, E0668 and E0669. Our head and neck garment does not currently have a billing code assigned; it is currently billed using the miscellaneous DMEPOS HCPCS code E1399. To date, over 1,100 payers have paid for our products.
Our respiratory DME partners contract directly with commercial payers and regularly serve as a consolidated source for various respiratory-related therapies. The DME distributor obtains the prescription and, in coordination with the patient and payer, determines insurance eligibility and payment. The AffloVest is reimbursed under HCPCS code E0483, high frequency chest wall oscillation for bronchiectasis, and over 70 other ICD-10 diagnosis codes.
Research and Clinical Operations
We are committed to ongoing research and development as part of our efforts to be at the forefront of physician and patient preference in the area of chronic disease, especially lymphedema, cancer-related lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency, bronchiectasis and other chronic respiratory conditions. Our research and development and clinical operations functions include scientists, clinical monitors and project managers with expertise in pneumatics, electronics, garment design, embedded software, mechanical design, sensors, manufacturing technologies and clinical trial management. Our current research and development efforts are focused primarily on improving design for ease-of-use, enhancing clinical functionality and reducing production costs of our solutions. Our clinical development efforts are focused on further differentiating our products from our competitors. We coordinate our development efforts with our intellectual property strategies in order to enhance our ability to obtain patent and other intellectual property protection. Our research and development expenses, including spending on our clinical evidence development efforts, totaled $8.8 million and $7.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Manufacturing and Quality Assurance
Our manufacturing and quality assurance model combines our internal manufacturing resources and expertise, including assembly, quality assurance, material procurement and inventory control, with approved third-party manufacturers and suppliers of system components. Our internal manufacturing activities, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, include quality inspection, assembly, packaging, warehousing and shipping of our products. We outsource the manufacture of components, which are produced to our specifications and shipped to our facilities for inspection and final assembly. We use third-party manufacturers and suppliers worldwide to source our components, maintaining dual-source vendors of critical components whenever possible, and leveraging competitive bids among third-party manufacturers and suppliers to control costs. Quality control, risk management, efficiency and the ability to respond quickly to changing requirements are the primary goals of our manufacturing operations. We believe our manufacturing model permits us to operate with low capital expenditure requirements. We carefully manage our supply chain in an effort to take costs out of the manufacturing process.
We manage our arrangements with our third-party manufacturers and suppliers to adjust delivery schedules and quantities of components to match our changing manufacturing requirements. We forecast our component needs based on historical trends, current utilization patterns and sales forecasts of future demand. We establish our relationships with our third-party manufacturers and suppliers through supplier contracts and purchase orders. In most cases, these supplier relationships may be terminated by either party upon reasonable notice.
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In order to mitigate against the risks related to a single source of supply, we qualify alternative suppliers, when possible, and develop contingency plans for responding to disruptions, including maintaining adequate inventory of any single source components, along with requiring each supplier to maintain specified quantities of inventory. To date, we have not experienced material delays in obtaining any of our components, nor has the ready supply of finished products to our patients or clinicians been adversely impacted by component supply issues.
We have implemented a quality management system designed to comply with FDA regulations and International Standards Organization, or ISO, standards governing medical device products. In the United States, we and some of our manufacturers are required to manufacture our products in compliance with the FDA's Quality System Regulation, which covers the methods and documentation of the design, testing, control, manufacturing, labeling, quality assurance, packaging, storage and shipping for our products. We maintain a quality management system to control compliance with such requirements and have procedures in place designed to ensure that all products and materials purchased by us conform to our requirements and FDA regulations. Our quality management system has been certified to ISO 13485:2003 in 2012, 2014 and 2017, and to ISO 13485:2016 in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. In 2021, we also received our Medical Device Single Audit Program (“MDSAP”) certification, which was renewed in 2024. An MDSAP allows an MDSAP-recognized Auditing Organization to conduct a single regulatory audit of a medical device manufacturer that satisfies the relevant requirements of the regulatory authorities participating in the program. Many of our manufacturers’ quality management systems also have been certified to ISO.
Order Fulfillment and Patient Education
With respect to our Flexitouch Plus, Entre Plus and Nimbl systems, once we have a complete patient order and appropriate documentation from the payer, we package and ship the system, configured to their physician's prescription, directly to the patient. We utilize third-party carriers for delivery and pick up of our devices. After delivery and when requested by our patient, we coordinate a virtual or at-home visit from one of our trainers to provide education and instruction on use and care of their therapy system. These trainers are professionally trained and instructed on proper use of our products. Patient visits and training sessions are assigned by our staff. Additional materials including training videos and support content is available on our website to support patients and their training needs. KyleeTM allows patients to manage their conditions by tracking treatments and symptoms, as well as having direct access to educational resources.
Our AffloVest product is packaged and shipped to the DME provider representative or drop-shipped directly to a patient, as directed. We utilize third-party carriers for delivery and pick up of our AffloVest products. In situations in which the product is shipped to the DME provider representative, they are responsible for completing the delivery to the patient. Upon receipt of the product, patients are able to utilize materials included with the product to complete self-training or engage with the DME provider representative for additional support.
Competition
The pneumatic compression pump market is composed of a number of manufacturers and distributors of pneumatic compression pumps. Our most significant manufacturing competitors are Bio Compression Systems, Inc. and Lympha Press USA.
Given the growth of the pneumatic compression pump market, we expect that the industry will become increasingly competitive in the future. Manufacturing companies compete for sales to patients primarily based on product features and service.
We believe we are the only pneumatic compression home-therapy device company with a meaningful U.S. market position supported by a direct sales force. We believe our manufacturing competitors' complete reliance on DME distribution intermediaries compresses their margins and limits their ability to invest in clinical evidence and product features that address consumer preferences. To pursue a direct-to-patient and -provider sales model, our manufacturing competitors would need to meet national accreditation and state-by-state licensing requirements, secure Medicare billing privileges, as well as compete directly with the home medical equipment providers that many rely on across their entire home care businesses.
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We anticipate that, given the size of the available market, we will face increased competition in the future as existing companies and competitors develop new or improved products and distribution strategies and as new companies enter the market with new technologies and distribution strategies. Our ability to compete successfully and to increase our market share is dependent upon our reputation for providing responsive, professional and high-quality products and services and achieving strong customer satisfaction.
Competitors within the airway clearance market consist largely of three other HFCWO vest manufacturers: Baxter (formerly Hill-Rom), Philips Medical and Electromed. While we believe AffloVest’s portability and our use of DME distributors are differentiators, we anticipate that given the size of the airway clearance market, we will continue to see vigorous competition. We intend to further expand and support our respiratory DME relationships, as well as invest in product development, to better support this still-underserved area.
Government Regulation
Our systems are medical devices subject to extensive and ongoing regulation by numerous governmental authorities, principally the FDA, and corresponding state and foreign regulatory agencies.
FDA Regulation
In the United States, the FDA regulates medical devices, including the following activities that we perform, or that are performed on our behalf with respect to our devices: product design and development, pre-clinical and clinical testing, manufacturing, labeling, storage, servicing, premarket clearance or approval, record keeping, product marketing, advertising and promotion, sales and distribution, and post-marketing surveillance, including reporting. Failure to comply with applicable U.S. requirements may subject us to a variety of administrative, enforcement, or judicial sanctions, such as warning letters, import alerts, debarment, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, civil penalties and criminal prosecution. The FDA can also refuse to clear or approve pending applications.
Unless an exemption applies, each medical device we seek to distribute commercially in the United States requires marketing authorization from the FDA prior to distribution. The two primary types of FDA marketing authorizations applicable to a device are premarket notification, also called a 510(k) clearance, and premarket approval. The type of marketing authorization is generally linked to the classification of the device, which is based on the degree of risk the FDA determines to be associated with a device and the level of regulatory control deemed necessary to ensure the device's safety and effectiveness.
All of our past and current models of our Flexitouch, Entre, Nimbl and AffloVest systems are Class II devices under the FDA classification system requiring 510(k) clearance. We obtained 510(k) clearance for our Flexitouch system in October 2006 and for a discontinued predecessor system in July 2002. In September 2016, we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for the Flexitouch system for treating lymphedema of the head and neck. In June 2017, we announced that we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for the Flexitouch Plus, the third-generation version of our Flexitouch system. In December 2020, we received 510(k) clearance for two new indications for our Flexitouch Plus system: phlebolymphedema and lipedema. We obtained 510(k) clearance for our Entre system in May 2015. In June 2024 we received 510(k) clearance for our Nimbl device. 510(k) clearance for the AffloVest system was obtained in 2013. All of our Class II devices have obtained 510(k) clearance and that status remains current as of the date of this filing.
After a device receives a 510(k) clearance or a premarket approval, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness or that would constitute a major change in its intended use will generally require a new clearance or approval. Thus, modifications or changes in use of our existing devices will be evaluated to ensure ongoing compliance to the FDA requirements.
Further, even after a device receives clearance or approval by the FDA and is placed on the market, numerous regulatory requirements apply. These include:
● establishment registration and device listing;
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Any new Class II devices developed by us will be submitted to the FDA as required by the 510(k) process. Under this process, when a 510(k) clearance is required, we must submit a premarket notification to the FDA demonstrating that our proposed device is "substantially equivalent" to a previously cleared and legally marketed 510(k) device, a legally marketed device which has been reclassified from high to low or moderate risk or a device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976 for which the FDA does not require the submission of a premarket approval application, which is commonly known as the "predicate device." In 2019, the FDA released a final guidance for industry regarding an optional Safety and Performance Based Pathway for 510(k) clearance, which allows a submitter to demonstrate that an eligible new device of a well-understood type meets FDA-identified performance criteria to demonstrate that the device is as safe and effective as a legally marketed device. If the FDA determines that the device, or its intended use, is not substantially equivalent to a previously-cleared device or use, the FDA will issue a not substantially equivalent decision. This means the device cannot be cleared through the 510(k) process and will require marketing authorization through the premarket approval pathway. In September 2023 the FDA released additional draft guidance around best practices for selecting a predicate device to support a premarket notification submission.
A premarket approval application must be submitted to the FDA if the device cannot be cleared through the 510(k) process. The premarket approval application process is much more demanding and in-depth than the 510(k) premarket notification process and requires the payment of significant user fees. A premarket approval application must be supported by valid scientific evidence, which typically requires extensive data, including but not limited to technical, pre-clinical, clinical trials, manufacturing and labeling to demonstrate to the FDA's satisfaction reasonable evidence of safety and effectiveness of the device.
Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement action by the FDA, which may include, but are not limited to, any of the following compliance and enforcement actions: warning letters, fines, injunctions, civil or criminal penalties, recall or seizure of our products, operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production, denying our request for 510(k) clearance or premarket approval of new products, rescinding previously granted 510(k) clearances or withdrawing previously granted premarket approvals.
We are also subject to announced and unannounced inspections by the FDA, and these inspections may include the manufacturing facilities or other sites of our subcontractors to audit any part of our quality system. We were inspected three times since January 2010 by the FDA and found to be in compliance with the Quality System Regulation. We cannot assure you that we can maintain a comparable level of regulatory compliance in the future at our facilities.
FTC Regulation
Device advertising and promotional activity in certain circumstances is also subject to scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission, as well as similar state consumer protection agencies, which enforce laws related
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to false and deceptive trade practices. A company that is found to have advertised its product in violation of these laws may be subject to liability, including monetary penalties.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, requires providers and suppliers of products or services to attain and maintain accreditation in order to participate in federally funded healthcare programs. To attain and maintain accreditation, among other requirements companies are required to institute policies and procedures that formalize the interaction of the company with patients. Accrediting bodies that are approved (“deemed”) by CMS will perform audits of these policies and procedures every three years. Should a company fall out of compliance with the requirements of the accrediting body, expulsion from the Medicare program could follow. In May 2008, we became a Durable, Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies accredited supplier by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care. This accreditation must be renewed every three years through a recredentialing process that includes an on-site review. We last renewed our accreditation with our accrediting body in May 2023. Maintaining our accreditation and Medicare enrollment requires that we comply with numerous business and customer support standards. If we are deemed out of compliance with accreditation standards our enrollment status in the Medicare program could be jeopardized, up to and including termination.
Licensure
Several states require that durable medical equipment providers be licensed in order to sell products to patients in that state. Certain of these states require that durable medical equipment providers maintain an in-state location. Most of our state licenses are renewed on an annual or bi-annual basis. In addition, we are subject to certain state laws regarding professional licensure.
Fraud and Abuse Regulations
Federal Anti-Kickback and Self-Referral Laws. The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute, among other things, prohibits the knowing and willful offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of any form of remuneration, whether directly or indirectly and overtly or covertly, in return for, or to induce the referral of an individual for the:
The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute applies to certain arrangements with healthcare providers, product end users and other parties, including marketing arrangements and discounts and other financial arrangements offered to our clinicians in connection with the sale of our products. The statute is very broad, but includes statutory safe harbors (such as a discount safe harbor) to ensure that if a company tailors its conduct in accordance with a safe harbor, it will not violate the statute.
Noncompliance with the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute can result in civil, administrative and criminal penalties, restrictions on our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions, and exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. In addition, to the extent we are found to not be in compliance, we may be required to curtail or restructure our operations.
The Ethics in Patient Referrals Act, commonly known as the "Stark Law," prohibits a physician from making referrals for certain "designated health services" payable by Medicare to an entity, including a company that furnishes durable medical equipment, in which the physician or an immediate family member of such physician has an ownership or investment interest or with which the physician has entered into a compensation arrangement unless an exception applies. Violation of the Stark Law could result in denial of payment,
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disgorgement of reimbursements received under a noncompliant arrangement, civil penalties and exclusion from Medicare or other Federal health care programs.
Additionally, because some of these laws continue to evolve, we lack definitive guidance as to the application of certain key aspects of these laws as they relate to our arrangements with providers. We cannot predict the final form that these regulations will take or the effect that the final regulations will have on us. As a result, our provider arrangements may ultimately be found to be non-compliant with applicable federal law.
False statements. The federal false statements statute, relating to health care matters, prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing, or omitting a material fact or making any materially false statement in connection with the delivery of healthcare benefits, items, or services. In addition to criminal penalties, violation of this statute may result in collateral administrative sanctions, including exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs.
Federal False Claims Act and Civil Monetary Penalties Law. The Federal False Claims Act provides, in part, that the federal government may bring a lawsuit against any person whom it believes has knowingly presented, or caused to be presented, any false or fraudulent request for payment from the federal government, or who has made a false statement or used a false record to get a claim paid or to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government or knowingly retained an overpayment. The Federal False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions have made it easier for private parties to bring whistleblower lawsuits against companies.
The Civil Monetary Penalties Law provides, in part, that the federal government may seek civil monetary penalties against any person that, like under the Federal False Claims Act, presents or causes to be presented claims to a Federal health care program that the person knows or should know is for an item or services that was not provided as claimed or is false or fraudulent or that has made a false statement or used a false record to get a claim paid. The federal government may also seek civil monetary penalties for a wide variety of other conduct, including offering remuneration to influence a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary's selection of providers and violations of the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
If we are found to be in violation of the Federal False Claims Act or the Civil Monetary Penalties laws, penalties include fines for each false claim violation of the Federal False Claims Act and varying amounts based on the type of violation of the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, plus up to three times the amount of damages that the federal government sustained because of the act of that person. In addition, the federal government may also seek exclusion from participation in all federal health care programs.
In addition, we bill Medicare Part B, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration and other insurers directly for lymphedema products provided to patients. As a result, we must comply with all laws, rules and regulations associated with filing claims with the Medicare program, including the Social Security Act, Medicare regulations, the Federal False Claims Act and the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, as well as a variety of additional federal and state laws. During an audit, insurers typically expect to find explicit documentation in the medical record to support a claim. Physicians and other clinicians, who are responsible for prescribing our products for patients, are expected to create and maintain the medical records that form the basis for the claims we submit to Medicare and other insurers. Any failure to properly document the medical records for patients using our products could invalidate claims, impair our ability to collect submitted claims and subject us to overpayment liabilities, Federal False Claims Act liabilities and other penalties including exclusion from the Medicare, Medicaid, other government health care programs or private insurance programs.
State fraud and abuse provisions. Many states have also adopted some form of anti-kickback and anti-referral laws and false claims acts that apply regardless of payer, in addition to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs. In some states, these laws apply, and we believe that we are in compliance with such laws. Nevertheless, a determination of liability under such laws could result in fines and penalties and restrictions on our ability to operate in these jurisdictions.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Other Anti-Corruption Laws. We may be subject to a variety of domestic and foreign anti-corruption laws with respect to our regulatory compliance efforts and operations. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) is a criminal statute that prohibits an individual
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or business from paying, offering, promising or authorizing the provision of money (such as a bribe or kickback) or anything else of value (such as an improper gift, hospitality, or favor), directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose of influencing any act or decision in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining, retaining, or directing business or other advantages (such as favorable regulatory rulings). In addition to the FCPA, there are other federal and state anti-corruption laws to which we may be subject, including, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 USC § 201 (which prohibits bribing U.S. government officials) and the U.S. Travel Act (which in some instances addresses private-sector or commercial bribery both within and outside the United States). Also, a number of other countries have their own domestic and international anti-corruption laws, such as the UK Bribery Act 2010.
We could be held liable under the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws for the illegal activities of our employees, representatives, contractors, collaborators, agents, subsidiaries, or affiliates, even if we did not explicitly authorize such activity. Although we will seek to comply with anti-corruption laws, there can be no assurance that all of our employees, representatives, contractors, collaborators, agents, subsidiaries or affiliates will comply with these laws at all times. Violation of these laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, suspension and/or debarment from contracting with certain governments or other persons, importation restriction, the loss of export privileges, reputational harm, adverse media coverage and other collateral consequences. In addition, our directors, officers, employees, and other representatives who engage in violations of the FCPA and certain other anti-corruption statutes may face imprisonment, fines and penalties.
State and federal transparency/reporting requirements. As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or ACA, the Federal government has created a transparency program known as Open Payments (the Physician Payments Sunshine Act) which requires applicable manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologicals and medical supplies to report annually to the CMS, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, information related to payments and other transfers of value provided to physicians and teaching hospitals (“covered recipients”) and certain ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Beginning in 2021, tracking and reporting was expanded to include additional covered recipients, namely physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse-midwives. Failure to submit timely, accurate and complete information may result in significant civil monetary penalties for "knowing failures to report." Certain states have their own versions of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, and may also require implementation of commercial compliance programs and compliance with the device industry's voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government, impose restrictions on marketing practices, and/or prohibition and tracking and reporting of gifts, compensation and other remuneration or items of value provided to physicians and other healthcare professionals and entities.
The laws described above impact the kinds of financial arrangements we may have with hospitals, healthcare professionals or other potential purchasers of our products. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws or regulations described above or others that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including potentially significant criminal, civil and/or administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens, diminished profits and future earnings, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.
HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, established uniform standards governing the conduct of certain electronic healthcare transactions and protecting the security and privacy of individually identifiable health information maintained or transmitted by healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses, which are referred to as covered entities. The standards promulgated under HIPAA's regulations include those that:
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, or ARRA, expanded HIPAA's privacy and security standards. ARRA includes the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, which, among other things, made HIPAA's privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates of covered entities. A business associate is a person or entity that performs certain functions or activities on behalf of a covered entity that involve the use or disclosure of protected health information. As a result, business associates are now subject to significant civil and criminal penalties for failure to comply with applicable standards. Moreover, HITECH creates a new requirement to report certain breaches of unsecured, individually identifiable health information and imposes penalties on entities that fail to do so. HITECH also increased the civil and criminal penalties that may be imposed against covered entities, business associates and possibly other persons and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorney fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions.
The 2013 final HITECH omnibus rule, or the HITECH Final Rule, modifies the breach reporting standard in a manner that makes more data security incidents qualify as reportable breaches. The costs of complying with privacy and security related legal and regulatory requirements are burdensome. The HITECH Final Rule will continue to be subject to interpretation by various courts and other governmental authorities, thus creating potentially complex compliance issues for us, as well as referring providers.
In addition to federal regulations issued under HIPAA, several states have enacted privacy and security statutes or regulations that, in certain cases, are more stringent than those issued under HIPAA. In those cases, it may be necessary to modify our planned operations and procedures to comply with the more stringent state laws. Most states have also adopted breach notification laws that require notification to affected individuals and certain state agencies if there is a security breach of certain individually-identifiable information. If we suffer a privacy or security breach, we could be required to expend significant resources to provide notification to the affected individuals and address the breach, as well as reputational harm associated with the breach. If we fail to comply with applicable state laws and regulations, we could be subject to additional sanctions. Any liability from failure to comply with the requirements of HIPAA, HITECH or state privacy and security statutes or regulations could adversely affect our financial condition. The costs of complying with privacy and security related legal and regulatory requirements are burdensome and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Environmental Regulation
Our research and development and manufacturing processes and operations may involve the controlled use of hazardous materials, including flammables, toxics and corrosives and produce hazardous chemical waste products. We are subject to numerous foreign, federal, state, and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations relating to, among other matters, safe working conditions, product stewardship and end-of-life handling or disposition of products, and environmental protection, including those governing the generation, storage, handling, use, transportation and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous materials. Some of these laws and regulations require us to obtain licenses or permits to conduct our operations. Environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time.
Foreign Government Regulation
International sales of medical devices are subject to foreign governmental regulations, which vary substantially from country to country. The time required to obtain clearance or approval by a foreign country may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA clearance or approval, and the requirements may be different. Many countries also impose product standards, packaging requirements, environmental
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requirements, labeling requirements, and import restrictions on medical devices. Each country has its own tariff regulations, duties and tax requirements. Failure to comply with applicable foreign regulatory requirements may subject a company to fines, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions, criminal prosecution or other consequences.
The European Union is the primary regulator in Europe, which has adopted numerous directives/regulations and has promulgated standards regulating the design, manufacture, clinical trials, labeling and adverse event reporting for medical devices. Medical devices that comply with the requirements of applicable directives/regulations will be entitled to bear the CE conformity marking, indicating that the device conforms with the essential requirements of the applicable directives/regulations and, accordingly, can be commercially distributed throughout the member states of the European Union, and other countries that comply with or mirror these directives. At this time, we have no products that are CE marked.
Third-Party Reimbursement
In the United States and elsewhere, sales of medical devices depend in significant part on the availability of coverage and reimbursement to providers and patients from third-party payers. Third-party payers include private insurance plans and governmental programs. As with other medical devices, reimbursement for our products can differ significantly from payer to payer, and our products are not universally covered by third- party commercial payers. Further, third-party payers continually review existing technologies for continued coverage and can, with limited notice, deny or reverse coverage for existing products.
Two principal governmental third-party payers in the United States are Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare is a federal program that provides certain medical insurance benefits to persons age 65 and over, certain disabled persons and others. In contrast, Medicaid is a medical assistance program jointly funded by federal and state governments to serve certain individuals and families with low incomes and who meet other eligibility requirements. Each state administers its own Medicaid program which determines the benefits made available to the Medicaid recipients in that state. The Medicare and Medicaid statutory framework is subject to administrative rulings, interpretations and discretion that affect the amount and timing of reimbursement made under Medicare and Medicaid.
CMS, which is the agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that administers both Medicare and Medicaid, has the authority to decline to cover particular products or services if it determines that they are not "reasonable and necessary" for the treatment of Medicare beneficiaries. A coverage determination for a product, which establishes the indications that will be covered, and any restrictions or limitations, can be developed at the national level by CMS through a National Coverage Determination, or NCD, or at the local level through a Local Coverage Determination, or LCD, by a regional Medicare Administrative Contractor, which is a private contractor that processes and pays claims on behalf of CMS for the geographic area where the services were rendered. Obtaining a coverage determination, whether an NCD or LCD, is a time-consuming, expensive and highly uncertain endeavor, especially for a new device. Under the current NCD that has been effective since January 14, 2002, pneumatic compression devices, or PCDs, including our products, are covered for the treatment of lymphedema or for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency with venous stasis ulcers. A LCD, administered by the two Medicare Administrative Contractors responsible for processing durable medical equipment claims, and which had set forth additional coverage criteria impacting Medicare coverage for our products was retired on November 14, 2024. The validity of the coverage criteria in the LCD remains under dispute in the District Court of the District of Columbia. Our Medicare business was 18% of revenue in 2024 compared to 24% in 2023.
Because Medicare criteria is extensive, we have a team dedicated to educating clinicians to help them understand how Medicare policy affects their patients and the medical record documentation needed to meet Medicare requirements. We maintain open communication with physician key opinion leaders and with Medicare contractors to provide data as it becomes available that could potentially influence coverage decisions. We also continue to closely monitor our Medicare business to identify trends that could have a negative impact on certain Medicare patients' access to our products, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
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Commercial payers that reimburse for our products do so in a variety of ways, depending on the insurance plan's policies, employer and benefit manager input, and contracts with their provider network. Moreover, Medicaid programs and some commercial insurance plans, especially Medicare Advantage plans (commercial insurers that are administering Medicare benefits to certain beneficiaries), are frequently influenced by Medicare coverage determinations. In working with payers who follow Medicare criteria, we have focused on clear communications with insurers to ensure mutual understanding of criteria interpretation, which differs significantly among the plans from very restrictive to quite lenient, and we then work closely with clinicians to educate them accordingly. While this approach has had positive impact, we do not know if or when additional payers may adopt more restrictive criteria nor do we know how they will choose to interpret it.
We believe a reduction or elimination of coverage or reimbursement of our products by Medicare would likely cause some commercial third-party payers to implement similar reductions in their coverage or reimbursement of our products. If we are unable to expand coverage of our products by additional commercial payers, or if third-party payers that currently cover or reimburse for our products reverse or limit their coverage or reimbursement levels in the future, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Intellectual Property
Our intellectual property consists of patented designs and methods and proprietary know-how. In addition to the patented designs and methods discussed below, we have made significant investments in proprietary know-how, including the manufacture of fabrics and garments used in our systems and the algorithms used to manage the inflation and deflation of our systems and other functions of the controllers. To maintain and protect our proprietary technologies and products, we rely on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property laws, and confidentiality provisions in our contracts. We have a policy to enter into confidentiality agreements with employees, consultants, third parties and our advisors to protect our intellectual property and maintain our competitive position. We also require our employees and consultants to sign agreements requiring that they assign to us their interest in intellectual property such as patents and copyrights arising from their work for us. We also require all employees to sign an agreement not to compete unfairly with us during their employment and upon termination of their employment through the misuse of confidential information, soliciting employees, and soliciting customers. Despite any measures taken to protect our intellectual property, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy aspects of our systems or to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary.
Patents
Our patent portfolio consists of four sets of patents, including patents relating to our Flexitouch system, our AffloVest system and other related technologies. As of December 31, 2024, we owned about 171 issued patents globally, of which 65 were issued U.S. patents. As of December 31, 2024, we owned about 20 pending patent applications pending globally, of which 7 were pending patent applications in the United States. Our U.S. issued patents have varying patent terms, expiring between 2025 and through at least 2040, subject to payment of required maintenance fees, annuities and other charges.
Trademarks
We have registered the trademarks Tactile Medical, Flexitouch, Flexitouch Plus, the Flexitouch logo design, ComfortEase, Entre, AffloVest, AffloVest Pro, Kylee and Nimbl with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on the Principal Register. We rely in the United States on common law rights to the Tactile Medical design trademark. The Tactile Medical trademark is registered in Australia and Japan, and the AffloVest trademark is registered in Australia, the European Union, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Seasonality
Our business is affected by seasonality. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Seasonality.”
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Human Capital Resources
As a company, our focus is on developing and selling solutions that help increase clinical efficacy, reduce overall healthcare costs and improve the quality of life for patients with chronic conditions by treating them at home. We believe the strength of our employees is the cornerstone to achieving these goals. As of December 31, 2024, we had 1,037 employees. We have 613 employees who are based throughout the United States, as well as 424 employees who are primarily based in our corporate/manufacturing locations in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. Our employees are our most important resource and they set the foundation for our ability to achieve our strategic objectives.
The success and growth of our business depends, in large part, on our ability to attract, retain and develop talented and high-performing employees at all levels of our organization, including the individuals who comprise our workforce as well as executive officers and other key personnel. To succeed in a competitive labor market, we have developed key recruitment and retention strategies, objectives and measures that we focus on as part of the overall management of our business. These strategies, objectives and measures form the pillars of our human capital management framework and are advanced through the following programs, policies and initiatives:
Total Rewards: Rewarding and supporting our employees is essential to Company morale. To maintain a competitive salary and benefits package, we utilize multiple external survey sources to evaluate employee compensation and an independent third party to review executive compensation. We continue to explore and utilize benefits options in line with our growing workforce to attract and retain top talent. These benefits include but are not limited to retirement savings, an employee stock purchase plan, a variety of health insurance options, including dental and vision, discounts on healthy foods and fitness memberships, disability insurance, paid maternity/paternity leave, and a company volunteer program providing employees paid time to give back to the community.
Employee Engagement and Culture: We consider employee engagement to be a cornerstone of our business and we encourage different perspectives and ideas, which we believe enables better business decisions and rapid innovation. We are committed to constructive and critical self-evaluation that leads to concrete steps that continually enhance and strengthen our corporate culture.
Fair Labor Practices: We seek fair labor practices throughout our business, including from our partners and key suppliers who share our values for human rights, dignity, and respect. We have adopted a Human Rights Policy formalizing this commitment and implemented a Supplier Code of Conduct, requiring from our suppliers the same commitment to human rights, fair labor practices, and anticorruption that we value here at Tactile Medical.
Health and Safety: The health and safety of our employees is a vital aspect to the success of the Company. We provide all employees training on workplace safety and require employees to follow standards and practices supporting a safe and healthy work environment.
Talent and Retention: In 2024, we continued to focus on recruitment, hiring, and retention to ensure high quality talent and a strong fit for specific roles within the Company. Our recruitment efforts include strong recruiting and hiring processes, as well as an internship program. The Company’s intranet facilitates employee inclusion, provides resources, and advances transparent communication efforts. We also introduced a number of new learning and development options for our team members in 2023.
We continue to be diligent and remain focused on our employee engagement strategies, including through exit interview analyses, talent management and retention risk analyses and periodic employee engagement surveys.
Available Information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
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We also make financial information, news releases and other information available on our corporate website at www.tactilemedical.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge on this website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file these reports and amendments with, or furnish them to, the SEC. The information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K and should not be considered part of this or any other report filed with the SEC.
Information About our Executive Officers
Certain information with respect to our executive officers as of February 14, 2025 is set forth below.
Sheri L. Dodd, age 59, has served as a member of our Board of Directors since January 2021 and has served as our Chief Executive Officer since July 2024. Previously, Ms. Dodd served as President of Medtronic Canada at Medtronic plc. Since joining Medtronic in March 2010, Ms. Dodd served as Vice President and General Manager of Medtronic Care Management Services, Vice President and General Manager of Non-intensive Diabetes Therapies and Vice President for Global Health Economics, Reimbursement & Policy and Global Clinical Research across the Medtronic cardiovascular portfolio. From November 1997 until March 2010, Ms. Dodd held various positions in the pharma and medical divisions with Johnson & Johnson, most recently as Vice President of Health Economics and Reimbursement for Ethicon, Inc. Ms. Dodd also served as an outcomes researcher with Orthopedic Surgeons, plc from January 1995 until November 1997. From May 1988 until September 1993, Ms. Dodd served as a project coordinator with the World Health Organization.
Elaine M. Birkemeyer, age 50, has served as our Chief Financial Officer since joining the Company in March 2023. Ms. Birkemeyer joined the Company from UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (“UnitedHealth”), where she had served as Chief Financial Officer, Optum Care Solutions, from May 2021 to March 2023. Prior to that she held various other roles with UnitedHealth, including Chief Financial Officer, Rally Health from March 2020 to May 2021, Senior Vice President, Optum Corporate Finance from February 2017 to March 2020, and Vice President, Optum Operations Finance from July 2014 to February 2017. Previously, Ms. Birkemeyer held various positions with Best Buy Co., Inc., including Senior Director, Strategy and Business Planning, Senior Finance Director and Senior Finance Manager. Ms. Birkemeyer has over 26 years of experience in finance, accounting, financial analysis, strategy and business planning. Ms. Birkemeyer holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Kristie T. Burns, age 53, has served as our Senior Vice President, Marketing & Clinical Affairs since joining the company in March 2021. Prior to joining our company, Ms. Burns was the Chief Marketing Officer of Cala Health, Inc., a privately-held bioelectronic medicine company developing wearable neuromodulation therapies for chronic disease, from January 2017 until March 2021. At Cala Health, she organized the company’s commercial functions and managed the U.S. commercial introduction of its lead product. Prior to joining Cala Health, Inc., Ms. Burns served as Vice President of Solutions Marketing, ResMed Americas of ResMed Inc. (NYSE: RMD), a global leader in digital health and cloud-connected medical devices focused on sleep apnea and other chronic diseases, from December 2003 to February 2016. Ms. Burns held various marketing and leadership roles of increasing responsibility with ResMed Inc. beginning in 2003. At ResMed Inc., her responsibilities included managing marketing and legal due diligence teams and leading the collaboration between multiple teams following a significant market reorganization. Ms. Burns previously served in consulting and business development roles of increasing responsibility at a privately-held cardiology consulting practice that was subsequently acquired by GE Medical Systems, from 1994 to 1999.
Sherri L. Ferstler, age 55, has served as our Senior Vice President of Sales since joining the company in July 2023. As described further in Part II, Item 9B. Other Information, Ms. Ferstler will cease to be an executive officer of the Company on February 18, 2025. Prior to joining Tactile Medical, Ms. Ferstler served as Vice President Sales, North America for Johnson & Johnson Vision since 2016 (NYSE: JNJ). In this position, Ms. Ferstler led the field & inside sales teams, strategic accounts & training functions selling Acuvue brand contact lenses across multiple channels. Ms. Ferstler began her career in 1992 with Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals where she served in a variety of sales, sales management and training and development roles. She joined Pfizer in 2000, serving as a district sales manager for all branded pharmaceutical products until 2003, then as Director of Division Operations and as a regional manager for Pfizer’s Urology and
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Respiratory product portfolios. From 2007 to 2016, Ms. Ferstler led regional and national sales teams for Endo Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Diabetes Care and Mylan Pharmaceuticals. Ms. Ferstler holds Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the State University of New York College at Buffalo.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Risk factors which could cause actual results to differ from our expectations and which could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations are discussed below and elsewhere in this report. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that are currently not believed to be significant to our business may also affect our actual results and could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of the risks or uncertainties described below or any additional risks and uncertainties actually occur, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Business, Operations and Strategy
Changes to the level of Medicare coverage or coverage criteria for our products could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Determinations of which products or services will be reimbursed under Medicare can be developed at the national level through a National Coverage Determination, or NCD, by CMS, or at the local level through a Local Coverage Determination, or LCD, by the two regional Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), which are private contractors that process and pay claims on behalf of CMS for different regions. The NCD for Pneumatic Compression Devices (PCDs) was established on January 14, 2002 and the LCD for PCDs was established by the MACs on October 1, 2015. On November 14, 2024 the LCD for PCDs was retired, and therefore the NCD will apply to all PCDs. We are not able to predict how the application of the NCD to PCDs that were previously covered by the LCD will impact coverage determinations, but unfavorable interpretations may occur.
The remaining NCDs may be subject to review and revision from time to time, and a new LCD may be developed, which may not be favorable for coverage of our products.Additional NCDs or LCDs, or changes in NCDs or LCDs for our products, could have adverse effects on our business. Further, we believe that a reduction or elimination of coverage or reimbursement of our products by Medicare would likely cause some commercial third-party payers to implement similar reductions in their coverage or reimbursement of our products. Given the evolving nature of the healthcare industry and ongoing healthcare cost reforms, we are and will continue to be subject to changes in the level of Medicare coverage for our products, and unfavorable coverage determinations at the national or local level could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
If we are unable to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for our products, our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.
Any decline in the amount payers are willing to pay for our products could create pricing pressure for us. If we are forced to lower the price we charge for our products, our gross margins will decrease, which will adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, insurance benefits vary substantially by health plan, meaning that some patients have high annual out-of-pocket medical costs, which may make it difficult for those patients to afford our products.
Third-party payers, whether foreign or domestic, or governmental or commercial, are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs. In the United States reimbursement for our products exists among the majority of third-party payers. However, reimbursement trends and coverage for our products can differ significantly between third-party payers. In addition, payers, including Medicare, continually review existing technologies for continued coverage and can, without notice, deny or reverse coverage for existing products. We believe any reduction or elimination of coverage or reimbursement of our products by Medicare would likely cause many commercial third-party payers to implement similar reductions or elimination of their coverage or reimbursement of our products. If we are unable to expand coverage of our products by additional commercial payers, or if third-party payers that currently cover or reimburse for our products reverse
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or limit their coverage or reimbursement in the future, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Further, we believe that future coverage and reimbursement may be subject to increased restrictions, such as additional preauthorization requirements. If we are unable to satisfy any new preauthorization requirements or adjust to any future new restrictions on our products, third-party coverage and reimbursement may be limited in the future, which could have an adverse impact on our business.
In addition, payers often conduct routine audits and request customer records and other documents to support claims submitted for payment. Recent increases in the frequency and scope of such audits, as well as findings as a result of such audits, could lead to our inability to collect receivables, or require us to repay amounts previously received, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
If we are unable to expand, manage and maintain our direct sales and marketing organizations, as well as our relationships with distributors, we may not be able to generate anticipated revenue.
Our operating results are directly dependent upon the sales and marketing efforts of our employees and upon our relationships with our distributors and their sales and marketing efforts. If our direct sales force or our distributors fail to adequately promote, market and sell our products, our sales may suffer.
Our future success depends largely on our ability to hire, train, retain and motivate skilled sales personnel with significant technical knowledge of lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency and bronchiectasis. Failure to hire or retain qualified sales personnel would prevent us from building awareness of our solutions, expanding our business and maintaining or generating additional sales. If we are unable to maintain or expand our sales and marketing capabilities, we may not be able to effectively commercialize our products, which could have an adverse impact on our business.
For our respiratory therapy products, we rely on DME providers for all aspects of sales, reimbursement, training and support. Our future success with respect to our respiratory therapy products depends largely on our ability to maintain and expand relationships with our current, and to enter into relationships with new, distributors of our airway clearance products. Our ability to continue to market, distribute, and sell our airway clearance products may be at risk if key or multiple of the DME providers choose to stop selling our products or if we are unable to enter into relationships with new distributors. Further, because we fully rely on DME providers related to sales of our AffloVest product, any disruption affecting those DMEs could adversely impact our results, such as the large DME provider that experienced slowed placements of AffloVest due to eligibility requirement changes that led to the decrease in our airway clearance product line revenue in 2023 and the first half of 2024.
We utilize third-party, single-source suppliers for some components and materials used in our products, and the loss of any of these suppliers could have an adverse impact on our business.
We rely on third-party manufacturers and suppliers to supply all components and materials used in our Flexitouch Plus, Entre Plus, Nimbl and AffloVest systems. Our ability to supply our products commercially depends, in part, on our ability to obtain components and materials in accordance with our specifications and with regulatory requirements and in sufficient quantities to meet demand for our products. Our ability to obtain components and materials may be affected by matters outside our control, including that our suppliers may cancel our arrangements on short notice, we may be relatively less important as a customer to certain suppliers and our suppliers may have disruptions to their operations.
If we are required to establish additional or replacement suppliers for any of our components or materials, it may not be accomplished quickly and our operations could be disrupted. Even if we are able to find replacement suppliers, the replacement suppliers would need to be qualified and may require additional regulatory authority approval, which could result in further delay. In the event of a supply disruption, our product inventories may be insufficient to supply our patients.
If our third-party suppliers fail to deliver the required commercial quantities of materials on a timely basis and at commercially reasonable prices, and we are unable to find one or more replacement suppliers
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capable of production at a substantially equivalent cost in substantially equivalent volumes and quality on a timely basis, the continued commercialization of our products, the supply of our products to customers and the development of any future products would be delayed, limited or prevented, which could have an adverse impact on our business.
We are increasingly dependent on sophisticated information technology and if we fail to effectively maintain or protect our information systems or data, including from cyber-attacks or data breaches, our business could be adversely affected.
We are increasingly dependent on sophisticated information technology for our products and infrastructure. In some cases, we have outsourced elements of our operations to third parties, and, as a result, we manage a number of third-party vendors who may or could have access to our intellectual property, proprietary business information, personal information of patients and employees and other confidential information.
Our information systems, and those of third-party vendors with whom we contract, require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect and enhance existing systems and develop new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information technology, evolving systems and regulatory standards and the increasing need to protect patient, customer and employee information, including personally-identifiable information. In addition, given their size and complexity, these systems could be vulnerable to service interruptions or to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees, third-party vendors and/or business partners, or from cyber-attacks by malicious third parties attempting to gain unauthorized access to our products, systems or confidential information (including, but not limited to, intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal information of our patients, customers and employees).
We are subject to cyber-attacks, including state-sponsored cyber-attacks, industrial espionage, insider threats, computer denial-of-service attacks, computer viruses, ransomware and other malware, phishing attacks, payment fraud or other cyber incidents. Cyber incidents are becoming more sophisticated, frequent and adaptive. If we fail to maintain or protect our information systems and data integrity effectively, we could:
● lose existing customers;
● have difficulty attracting new customers;
● suffer outages or disruptions in our operations or supply chain;
● have difficulty preventing, detecting, and controlling fraud;
● have disputes with customers, physicians, and other healthcare professionals;
● have regulatory sanctions or penalties imposed;
● incur increased operating expenses;
● incur expenses or lose revenue as a result of a data privacy breach; or
● suffer other adverse consequences.
We cannot assure you that cyber-attacks or data breaches will not occur or that systems issues will not arise in the future. Any significant breakdown, intrusion, breach, interruption, corruption or destruction of these systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.
In addition, we accept payments for many of our sales through credit and debit card transactions, which are handled through a third-party payment processor. As a result, we are subject to a number of risks related to credit and debit card payments, including that we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time and could require us to either increase the prices we charge for our products or experience an increase in
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our costs and expenses. In addition, as part of the payment processing process, we transmit our patients' credit and debit card information to our third-party payment processor. We may in the future become subject to lawsuits or other proceedings for purportedly fraudulent transactions arising out of the actual or alleged theft of our patients' credit or debit card information if the security of our third-party credit card payment processor is breached. We and our third-party credit card payment processor are also subject to payment card association operating rules, certification requirements and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. Failure to comply with these rules or requirements may result in fines and higher transaction fees, or we may lose the ability to accept credit and debit card payments from our patients, and there may be an adverse impact on our business.
Our long-term growth depends on awareness and adoption of our products.
A primary growth strategy is to establish our products as the standard of care for the treatment of chronic diseases. In order to achieve this growth strategy, we must:
Clinicians may not adopt our solutions as the standard of care for lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency and chronic respiratory conditions or may not prescribe our products for a number of reasons, including:
We believe recommendations and support of our products by key opinion leaders can influence market acceptance and adoption. If these key opinion leaders choose to not support our products, our ability to achieve broad market acceptance for our products may be impaired.
Our revenue is primarily generated from our lymphedema products and we are therefore highly dependent on these products.
Our lymphedema products accounted for 89% and 88% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We expect that sales of our lymphedema products will continue to account for a majority of our revenue going forward. Therefore, our ability to execute our growth strategy will depend not only upon increasing awareness of lymphedema, but also on the adoption of our products to treat this condition. Many physicians and clinicians may have experience with, and/or invested substantial resources in, developing expertise in traditional or alternative treatments for lymphedema, which may make them less willing to adopt our products. If our lymphedema products fail to achieve wide market acceptance for any reason, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Current or worsening economic conditions, including inflation, rising interest rates or a recession, could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
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General global economic downturns and macroeconomic trends, including inflation, capital market volatility, interest rate fluctuations, and economic slowdown or recession, may result in unfavorable conditions that could negatively affect demand for our products and exacerbate some of the other risks that affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, current or worsening economic conditions may adversely impact payment terms or rates, and the amount spent on healthcare generally, which could result in decreased demand for our products.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be negatively impacted by health epidemics or other outbreaks.
Health epidemics and other disease outbreaks have had, and in the future could have, a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In particular, such epidemics or outbreaks could result in a decline in the number of patients that healthcare facilities and clinics are able to treat, as well as staffing challenges. The extent to which health epidemics and disease outbreaks could impact our business, financial condition and results of operations depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration, spread, severity, and impact the effects on our clinician customers and their patients, our suppliers and our payers, and the remedial actions, any vaccine mandates and stimulus measures adopted by governmental authorities.
Physicians and payers may require additional clinical studies prior to prescribing our products or prior to providing or maintaining coverage and reimbursement for our products. Any subsequent clinical studies that are conducted and published may not be positive or consistent with our existing data, which could adversely affect the rate of adoption of our products.
Our success depends in large part on the medical and third-party payer community's acceptance of our products as being useful in treating patients with lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency or chronic respiratory conditions. While the results of our studies collectively indicate a favorable safety and efficacy profile, the study designs and results may not be viewed as compelling to physicians and insurers. In particular, payers and physicians may see limitations in the design and results of the studies for a number of reasons, including because certain studies were not specifically based on our products, involved a limited number of total subjects or subjects outside the control group and made "quality of life" conclusions based upon criteria contained in patient questionnaires that required subjective conclusions. Certain physicians and insurers may also prefer to see longer-term efficacy data than we have produced or are able to produce. If physicians or insurers do not find our data compelling or wish to wait for additional or independently-performed studies, they may choose not to prescribe or to provide coverage and reimbursement for our products.
We cannot assure you that any data that we or others generate will be consistent with that observed in the existing studies or that results will be maintained beyond the time points studied. We also cannot assure you that any data that may be collected will be compelling to the medical community because the data may not be scientifically meaningful or may not demonstrate that our products are attractive alternatives to traditional or other treatments. If subsequent studies are not positive or consistent with our existing data, adoption of our products may suffer and, accordingly, our business could be adversely impacted.
Consolidation in the healthcare industry could lead to demands for price concessions, which may impact our ability to sell our products at prices necessary to support our current business strategies.
Healthcare costs have risen significantly over the past decade, which has resulted in or led to numerous cost reform initiatives by legislators, regulators and third-party payers. Cost reform has triggered a consolidation trend in the healthcare industry to aggregate purchasing power, which may create more requests for pricing concessions in the future. We expect that market demand, government regulation, third-party coverage and reimbursement policies and societal pressures will continue to change the healthcare industry worldwide, resulting in further business consolidations and alliances among our payers, which may exert increasing downward pressure on the prices of our products in the future.
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Changes in government trade policies, including additional tariffs and the resulting consequences, may have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
The United States government from time to time has adopted new approaches to trade policy, including in some cases renegotiating or terminating certain existing bilateral or multi-lateral trade agreements, or imposing tariffs on certain foreign goods, including certain raw materials that are included in our products. Changes in U.S. trade policy have and could continue to result in one or more of its trading partners adopting responsive or retaliatory trade policies, making it more difficult or costly for us to export our products to those countries in the future or import our products or raw materials utilized in making our products. These measures have resulted in, and in the future could result in, increased costs for our goods imported into the United States. Since our prices are often fixed due to the reimbursement policies of, and arrangements with, third-party payers, this could result in lower margins on our products.
There is also a concern that the imposition of additional tariffs by the United States could result in the adoption of tariffs by other countries. The resulting trade war could have a significant adverse effect on world trade and the world economy. To the extent that trade tariffs and other restrictions imposed by the United States increase the price of, or limit the amount of, the raw materials and products we import into the United States, the costs of our raw materials may be adversely affected and the demand from our customers for products and services may be diminished, which could adversely affect our revenue and profitability. In addition, our margins could be significantly impacted.
We cannot predict future trade policy or the terms of any renegotiated trade agreements and their impact on our business. The adoption and expansion of trade restrictions, the occurrence of a trade war, or other governmental action related to tariffs or trade agreements or policies have the potential to adversely impact demand for our products, our costs, our customers, our suppliers and the United States economy, which in turn could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Increases in our operating costs could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Reimbursement rates are established by fee schedules mandated by private payers, Medicare, the Veterans Administration, and certain Medicaid programs. Although Medicare and certain private payers index their reimbursement rate off of a subset of cost of living, the Veterans Administration, certain Medicaid programs and other private payers are more likely to remain constant or slightly decrease their reimbursement rates. As a result, we may not be able to offset the effects of general inflation on our operating costs through increases in prices for our products. In particular, labor and related costs account for a significant portion of our operating costs and we compete with other healthcare providers to attract and retain qualified or skilled personnel and with various industries for administrative and service employees. This competitive environment could result in increased labor costs. Failure to control our operating costs, particularly labor and related costs, could adversely affect our financial conditions and results of operations.
Our operating costs may fluctuate significantly in the future as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. These factors include:
● increased sales and marketing costs to increase awareness of our products;
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● the costs associated with being a public company; and
● costs associated with entering and maintaining international markets.
Our failure to anticipate and minimize the impact of these costs could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We compete and may compete in the future against other companies, some of which have longer operating histories, more established products or greater resources than we do, which may harm our business.
The medical device industry is highly competitive. Our success depends, in part, upon our ability to maintain a competitive position in the development of technologies and solutions for the at-home treatment of lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency and chronic respiratory conditions or for market adjacencies. Any product we develop will have to compete for market acceptance and market share. We face significant competition, and we expect the intensity of competition will increase over time. Our primary competitors are Bio Compression Systems, Inc., Lympha Press USA, Baxter (formerly Hill-Rom), Philips Medical and Electromed. Other competitors include Medi, Airos Medical, Inc., NormaTec Industries and Koya Medical. Some of the companies developing or marketing competing products enjoy several competitive advantages, including:
● significantly greater name recognition;
● established distribution networks;
Our competitors may develop and patent processes or products earlier than us, obtain regulatory clearance or approvals for competing devices more rapidly than us or develop more effective or less expensive products or technologies that render our technology or products obsolete or less competitive. Current or future competitors could develop alternative technologies, including pharmaceuticals or surgeries, that treat the conditions that our products treat, which could impact our sales in the future. We also face fierce competition in recruiting and retaining qualified sales, scientific, reimbursement and management personnel, particularly those with direct-to-patient and -provider experience. If our competitors are more successful than us in these matters, our business may be harmed.
Our long-term growth depends on our ability to develop and commercialize additional products.
The medical device industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid change and technological advancements. Therefore, it is important to our business that we continue to enhance our product offerings and introduce new products. Developing products is expensive and time-consuming and could divert management's attention away from our business. We may not be successful in developing new products or enhancements to
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existing products. Further, we may expend financial, management and operational resources on products that we are not able to successfully commercialize.
Our ability to develop and commercialize additional products or enhancements to existing products will depend on several factors, including our ability to:
● properly identify and anticipate physician and patient needs;
● develop and introduce new products or product enhancements in a timely manner;
● avoid infringing upon the intellectual property rights of third parties;
● provide adequate training to potential users of our products;
● secure adequate coverage and reimbursement for our products; and
If we are unsuccessful in developing and commercializing new products, our ability to increase our revenue may be impaired.
It is difficult to forecast future performance and our financial results may vary from forecasts and may fluctuate from quarter to quarter.
A number of factors over which we have limited control, such as seasonal variations in revenue, may contribute to fluctuations in our financial results. In the first quarter of each year, when most patients have started a new insurance year and have not yet met their annual out-of-pocket payment obligations, we experience substantially reduced demand for our products. We typically experience higher revenue in the third and fourth quarters when more patients have met their annual insurance deductibles, thereby reducing their out-of-pocket costs for our products, and because patients desire to exhaust their flexible spending accounts at year end. This seasonality applies only to purchases and rentals of our products by patients covered by commercial insurance and is not relevant to Medicare, Medicaid or the Veterans Administration, as those payers either do not have plans that have declining deductibles over the course of the plan year and/or do not have plans that include patient deductibles for purchases or rentals of our products. To the extent that the prevalence of high deductible insurance plans and higher copay and coinsurance plans continue to grow in the private payer market, the seasonal variations in our revenue could become even more pronounced.
Other factors that may cause fluctuation in our quarterly results or variations from our forecasts include:
● physician adoption of our products;
● unanticipated pricing pressure;
● the hiring, retention and continued productivity of our sales representatives;
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● delays in receipt of anticipated purchase orders;
● delays in, or failure of, component deliveries from our suppliers; and
In the event our actual revenue and operating results do not meet our forecasts or the forecasts or estimates of the research analysts that cover us for a particular period, the market price of our common stock may decline substantially.
If physicians fail to properly document medical records for patients using our products, our business could be adversely impacted.
We bill Medicare Part B, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration and other insurers directly for sales and rentals of lymphedema products. As a result, we must comply with all laws, rules and regulations associated with filing claims with the Medicare program, including the Social Security Act, Medicare regulations, the Federal False Claims Act and the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, as well as a variety of additional federal and state laws. During an audit, insurers typically expect to find explicit documentation in the medical record to support a claim. Physicians and other clinicians, who are responsible for prescribing our products for patients, are expected to create and maintain the medical records that form the basis for the claims we submit to Medicare and other insurers. Any failure to properly document the medical records for patients using our products could invalidate claims, impair our ability to collect submitted claims and subject us to overpayment liabilities, False Claims Act liabilities and other penalties including exclusion from the Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance programs. Our reimbursement operations group is responsible for verifying and managing patient claims for our lymphedema products. This group works with physicians and other clinicians to educate physicians and other clinicians on their record keeping responsibilities. From time to time our reimbursement operations group identifies situations where the documentation is missing, incomplete or could be questioned by Medicare or other insurers, and revises its procedures to strengthen our controls, audits and oversight compliance systems based on our experience with Medicare contractors, Medicaid, insurers, physicians and other clinicians. If our procedures are not sufficient to detect deficiencies in the medical records of patients or such procedures are not updated in a timely manner before claims are submitted to Medicare or other insurers, or if the Medicare program or other insurer disagrees with the way the medical necessity support for prescribing our products has been documented, we could face potential liabilities for submitting claims based on inadequate records.
The size of the market for our products is an estimate, and may be smaller than we believe.
Our estimate of the total addressable market for our products is based on a number of internal and third-party estimates. In addition, our internal estimates are based in large part on current trends in diagnosing lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency and chronic respiratory conditions. While we believe these factors have historically provided and may continue to provide us with effective tools in estimating the total market for lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency, chronic respiratory conditions and our products, these estimates may not be correct and the conditions supporting our estimates may change at any time, thereby reducing the predictive accuracy of these underlying factors. As a result, our estimates of the total addressable market for our products may prove to be incorrect. In addition, changes in underlying causes or risk factors for diseases that our products treat, such as the impact of GLP-1 drugs on obesity, could impact our estimates of the total addressable market. If the actual number of patients who would benefit from our products and the total
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addressable market for our products is smaller than we have estimated, our future growth could be adversely impacted.
We may be unable to manage our growth effectively.
Our past growth has provided, and our future growth may create, challenges to our organization. We intend to continue to grow and may experience periods of rapid growth and expansion. Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on management, including the need to identify, recruit, train, integrate, retain and motivate additional employees. In addition, rapid and significant growth will place a strain on our administrative personnel, information technology systems and other operational infrastructure. Any failure by us to manage our growth effectively could have an adverse effect on our ability to achieve our development and commercialization goals.
Successful growth is also dependent upon our ability to implement appropriate financial and management controls, systems and procedures. In order to manage our operations and growth, we will need to continue to improve our operational and management controls, reporting and information technology systems and financial internal control procedures. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, it may be difficult for us to execute our business strategy and there could be an adverse impact on our business.
Our ability to maintain our competitive position depends on our ability to attract, integrate and retain key executives and highly qualified personnel.