With health care becoming increasingly data driven, third-party payors are requiring a higher level of evidence before making a positive coverage determination for a new technology or procedure. This has made the road to reimbursement much longer and tougher for device companies in general, and manufacturers of transoral devices for GERD are a prime example.

Although many companies have fallen short in developing a truly effective minimally invasive device for the treatment of chronic GERD, Torax Medical’s co-founder, president, and CEO Todd Berg believes the company’s new Linx Reflux Management System will find success because it is fundamentally unlike anything else that has come before. In an interview with Medtech Insight, Berg discussed the Linx device, the GERD market, and the company’s strategies for success.

Two distinct and effective radiofrequency medical devices to treat two prevalent digestive system disorders have been resurrected in an improved configuration, after the bankruptcy of their original manufacturer. Stretta for gastroesophageal reflux disease and Secca for bowel incontinence were first launched by Curon Medical, which went out of business in 2006. Mederi Therapeutics Inc. acquired the assets and is once again offering these two clinically proven therapies using a new RF generator and redesigned disposables.