COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR), the leading stem cell company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat medical conditions in inflammatory, cardiovascular, orthopedic, and wound healing markets, announced today that it has received transitional pass-through status from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), with C-Codes being designated for Grafix. Further, the product has been assigned pass-through status under Medicare's outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS), effective July 1, 2012. These codes will assist in facilitating reimbursement when Grafix products are used to treat Medicare patients with acute and chronic wounds in the hospital outpatient department and ambulatory surgical center settings.

We are very pleased with CMS, and their decision to assign pass-through codes for our Grafix line of Biosurgery products, said Frank Czworka, Executive Director, Wound Care of Osiris Therapeutics. This step will allow more Medicare patients and their providers to have greater access to these next-generation regenerative medicine products."

CMS also issued a preliminary positive decision for the assignment of permanent Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Q-codes for Grafix. If the decision is made permanent, it is anticipated that the Q-codes would be available starting in January 2013. The assignment of unique Q-codes will assist in facilitating reimbursement in the physician office setting, offering additional access for Medicare patients.

Non-healing wounds remain a serious unmet medical need and result in over 100,000 amputations each year in the United States alone. Current treatment options include growth factors and bioengineered dressings. However, when chronic wounds fail to respond to current standards of care, new advances are needed. Research shows that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in normal skin play a critical role in the wound healing process. Grafix is the only commercially available product that provides viable, endogenous MSCs together with growth factors and an optimal tissue matrix, making it well suited to promote active dermal healing.

About Grafix

Grafix is a three-dimensional cellular matrix designed for application directly to acute and chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers and burns. Flexible, conforming and immune neutral, this cellular repair matrix provides a rich source of viable, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and growth factors directly to the site of the wound, while the matrix protects the area from inflammation, scarring, and infection. Grafix is manufactured using a unique proprietary process that preserves the matrix, cells and growth factors needed for successful healing.

About Osiris Therapeutics

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. is the leading stem cell company, having developed the worlds first approved stem cell drug, Prochymal. The company is focused on developing and marketing products to treat medical conditions in inflammatory, cardiovascular, orthopedic and wound healing markets. Osiris currently markets Prochymal for pediatric refractory GvHD in Canada, Grafix for burns and chronic wounds, and Ovation for orthopedic applications. The companys pipeline of internally developed biologic drug candidates under evaluation includes Prochymal for inflammatory, autoimmune and cardiovascular indications, as well as Chondrogen for arthritis in the knee. Osiris is a fully integrated company with capabilities in research, development, manufacturing and distribution of stem cell products. Osiris has developed an extensive intellectual property portfolio to protect the company's technology, including 48 U.S. and 144 foreign patents.

Osiris, Prochymal, Grafix and Ovation are registered trademarks of Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. More information can be found on the company's website, http://www.Osiris.com. (OSIRG)

Here is the original post:
Osiris Receives Medicare Reimbursement Codes for Grafix®