German-based company joimax®, a leader in development and marketing of full-endoscopic and minimally-invasive spinal surgery technologies, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with NAMSA, market leader in medical device reimbursement strategies. Globally, NAMSA is the sole full continuum Contract Research Organization (CRO) focused entirely on medical devices. The agreement will allow NAMSA to assist joimax with reimbursement support services nationally, including prior authorization and appeals.
joimax Announces Partnership With NAMSA
Founded in 2001 in Karlsruhe, Germany, joimax highly specialized technology for a range of endoscopic minimally invasive spinal procedures, including MultiZYTE® for treatment of facet and sacroiliac joint pain; TESSYS® (transforaminal); iLESSYS® (interlaminar) and CESSYS® (cervical) for surgical decompression procedures; and EndoLIF® and Percusys® for minimally-invasive endoscopically supported stabilizations. These systems allow surgeons to operate through minor incisions, under local or full anesthesia, and via intervertebral foramen, the natural openings in the spinal canal.
New partner North American Science Associates (NAMSA) was initially a humble medical device material testing lab. Founded in 1967 in Toledo, Ohio, by Theodore Gorski, Ph.D., a scientist-entrepreneur, as “Science Associates,” the company was originally incorporated to test polymers used in medical tools and pharmaceutical containers. Today, NAMSA drives medical device product development, with an intent to move products through the development lifecycle cost-effectively and with efficiency, at 12 locations globally with over 1,000 associates.
joimax General Manager Maximilian Ries told OTW, “NAMSA has a team of experienced reimbursement specialists who are able to provide assistance to our customers and ultimately increase patients’ access to endoscopic spine technologies. NAMSA provides a full offering of support services from prior authorization and appeals assistance to private payor advocacy for positive coverage. We wanted a partnership with an established organization that could provide a full reimbursement support package.”
Ries continued, “NAMSA will provide ongoing support to joimax accounts (and patients) but our big collaborative push for this year is private payor advocacy for positive coverage/policy change.”

Discussion
This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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