Former iRhythm, CardioDx Executive Assumes Reimbursement Role at Clarify Medical

Clarify Medical has appointed Linda Kotcher as vice president of Market Access and Reimbursement, effective immediately. Kotcher brings to Clarify Medical over 25 years of healthcare experience in the medical device field with a focus on managed care contracting, provider relations, reimbursement, healthcare policy, and health economics.

Most recently, Kotcher served as senior director, U.S. Market Access and Reimbursement, for Heartflow, and previously worked in market access leadership roles at iRhythm, CardioDx, Pathworks Diagnostics, and Dexcom.
 
“Linda’s extensive experience and successful track record of establishing market access for novel medical technologies will undoubtedly bolster our commercialization of the Clarify System,” said George Mahaffey, president and CEO of Clarify Medical. “Because the Clarify System is the only connected and monitored home NB-UVB phototherapy system on the market, we can actually demonstrate improved treatment adherence rates, thereby improving patient outcomes and potentially delaying or avoiding escalation to more expensive therapies. We are pleased to welcome Linda to the team to broaden market access for this new therapeutic option.”
 
The Clarify System, which has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is indicated for localized phototherapeutic treatment of dermatologic conditions such as psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis (eczema), seborrheic dermatitis and leukoderma on all skin types (I-VI). It is the first and only connected phototherapy system that uses an app on the patient’s own smartphone (iOS or Android) to manage the dose, frequency, and duration of targeted narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) light therapy; the System helps to ensure that patients receive the proper doses recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology in its published Guidelines of Care for the Management of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis and The Vitiligo Working Group Recommendations for NarrowBand Ultraviolet B Light Phototherapy Treatment of Vitiligo.
 
The treatment regimen is prescribed by the patient’s physician but monitored and controlled by the Clarify System, enabling patients to administer precision treatment and achieve clinical efficacy with narrowband UVB phototherapy in the convenience of their homes. The connected system monitors dosing, adherence, compliance, patient progress and satisfaction.
 
The Clarify smartphone app syncs to a patented, lightweight, handheld device which guides patients through delivering targeted narrowband UVB phototherapy treatments for their specific skin conditions. All treatment records, including photographs and patient—coaching them on the use of the system and encouraging treatment adherence—greatly reducing the burden of these functions on the physician’s practice.

“I am excited to join Clarify Medical at this important time in the company’s development,” said Kotcher. “The Clarify System is poised to enable many patients to safely and effectively treat their chronic skin conditions at home, and to drive substantial cost savings by enabling payers and providers to utilize this cost-effective therapy as recommended by the recently published Joint American Academy of Dermatology – National Psoriasis Foundation guidelines of care for the management and treatment of psoriasis with phototherapy.”