Intrinsic Therapeutics, a US-based medical technology company involved in improving standard of care for lumbar discectomy patients with large annular defects with its Barricaid Annular Closure Device, announced on Thursday that the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) has issued a 2025 policy update on the use of bone-anchored annular closure to prevent reherniation in high-risk discectomy patients.

Intrinsic Therapeutics said that the updated ISASS policy reflects the growing body of clinical evidence supporting the use of Barricaid, as well as recent developments in diagnostic coding and reimbursement pathways since the original 2020 publication. Key updates include: five-year published RCT results demonstrating Barricaid's superiority over discectomy alone, findings from the US confirmatory study, multiple new meta-analyses, the introduction of ICD-10 codes for reporting defect size, and the approval of a new Category I CPT code, set to take effect in 2026.

April Spillane, Intrinsic Therapeutics' vice president, Health Economics, expressed gratitude for the updated guideline: "Specialty Spine societies like ISASS play a critical role in expanding access to advanced treatment options for patients. We appreciate ISASS taking the lead in advancing Barricaid as an important treatment option for high-risk discectomy patients. Their continued leadership in supporting innovative technologies makes a meaningful difference for patients and providers alike."