EXTON, Pa., July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lungpacer Medical today announced results from a new health economic analysis demonstrating that the AeroPace® System, a temporary transvenous diaphragm neurostimulation therapy, is projected to deliver meaningful cost savings for hospitals and health systems. The analysis, published in Critical Care Medicine, is based on clinical data from the randomized controlled RESCUE-3 trial and U.S. national claims datasets.
The study was designed to quantify the economic impact of the demonstrated clinical benefits of AeroPace, including reductions in mechanical ventilation duration of approximately 2.8–3.2 days and a greater than 10% improvement in weaning success compared to standard of care. Using national U.S. claims data to reflect real-world practice patterns and costs, these clinical effects translated into an estimated ~$12,000 in average cost savings per patient during the acute care hospital stay and an additional ~$12,000 in average reduced downstream long-term care costs per episode prior to consideration of device costs. The analysis also projected lifetime gains of 0.10–0.68 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), consistent with other high-value medical interventions. These findings were robust across sensitivity analyses.
This economic analysis builds on results from the RESCUE-3 randomized controlled trial, which demonstrated that AeroPace improved successful weaning from mechanical ventilation and reduced duration of ventilation compared to standard of care.
“The ability to accelerate ventilator liberation safely is one of the most important challenges in critical care,” said Joseph Shrager, MD, Professor and Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Stanford University and a senior author on the paper. “These new data suggest that by accelerating weaning, diaphragm neurostimulation can reduce the substantial economic burden associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation.”
“Hospitals are increasingly focused on technologies that can improve throughput and reduce ICU burden,” added Doug Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Lungpacer Medical. “This analysis reinforces that AeroPace delivers value on both sides of the equation: improving patient outcomes while reducing the cost of care.”
To support adoption of this novel therapy, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) granted a New Technology Add-On Payment (NTAP) for AeroPace, effective October 1, 2025, that allows for up to approximately $23,650 in additional reimbursement per eligible case. This payment is intended to offset the cost of the technology. In addition, new AMA Category III Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes took effect July 1, 2026, supporting the development of future reimbursement pathways.
Patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation represent one of the most resource-intensive populations in healthcare. By stimulating the phrenic nerves to activate the diaphragm during ventilation, AeroPace helps preserve diaphragm muscle function and restore respiratory independence, enabling earlier liberation from the ventilator which may reduce ICU and post-acute hospital costs.
About Lungpacer Medical
Lungpacer Medical is a medical technology company focused on improving outcomes for critically ill patients through innovative neurostimulation therapies designed to restore natural physiology, accelerate recovery, and reduce the burden of care.
The AeroPace System is indicated to improve weaning success in patients on mechanical ventilation for at least 96 hours. The system delivers temporary transvenous stimulation of the phrenic nerves to activate the diaphragm, integrating into standard ICU workflows without requiring surgical implantation. It is not for use in patients with certain implantable devices.
Contact: media@lungpacer.com
