Healthcare Asia Medtech Awards recognises Boston Scientific Asia for its Rezum™ technology

It took home the Training Initiative of the Year trophy for its non-invasive therapy treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

With all its achievements and awards over the years, Boston Scientific stands proud for its innovations that impact patients' lives, their company performance, their workplace culture, and their contributions to communities around the world. Its substantial presence across Asia reaches 24 markets in the region alone, which gives it more than enough influence to make a huge impact not just in saving lives, but in making them better.

The company's primary mission is to advance science. This means transforming lives through innovative medical solutions that improve patient lives, creating value for their customers, and supporting their employees and the communities in which they operate. The current pandemic has strengthened these beliefs, and their resolve to attain them through their newest initiatives and innovations, including the recent Singapore launch of Rezum™, an innovative product for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).  

Rezum™ technology is a minimally invasive therapy (MIT) for patients with symptomatic BPH. Powered by convective water vapor energy, the system delivers targeted, controlled doses of the stored thermal energy in water vapor directly to the region of the prostate gland with the obstructive tissue causing the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to BPH. 

Rezum™ offers long-term relief from BPH symptoms. It reduces treatment time from 60-90 minutes to around five minutes, shortens recovery time, and enhances post-surgery quality of life. 

In February 2020, Boston Scientific received marketing approval to introduce Rezum™ technology to specific markets in Asia Pacific. The company began a robust pre-launch training program for its sales reps as murmurs of a new coronavirus spreading across Asia Pacific began to dominate global news headlines. 

Restrictions imposed by governments to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 meant that the launch team had to rapidly reassess its plans to launch Rezum™. The tried and tested launch pathways that usually involve hours in physician offices and face-to-face training with global key opinion leaders had to be paused, which would lead to negative patient and commercial outcomes.

Inspired by the rapid pivot to digital work-from-home solutions, the launch team collaborated with global colleagues to transform a traditional launch program into a hybrid training solution. The consultation process included a thorough assessment of patient safety outcomes, the development of simulated training solutions, and a review of how to make global key opinion leaders accessible to physicians remotely. The launch team also had to explore numerous technology solutions and configurations to ensure the training program would give the operating physician the right support and inputs at exactly the right time. 

Combining hands-on training and digital engagement, sales reps provided access to bespoke training modules and some of the world’s leading urologists. Although the first case happened in mid-2020, Rezum™ was safely launched in select Asia Pacific markets despite COVID-19 restraints.

The success of the hybrid launch is measured by the confidence of physicians to offer the Rezum™ procedure, positive outcomes for patients and the speed of adoption of Rezum™  in select markets. From a commercial standpoint, the hybrid-launch enabled Boston Scientific to bring global innovation to Asia that could have been delayed by more than 12 months – a significant amount of time when delivering true innovation to patient care. The positive response from physicians to the support offered by Boston Scientific has provided validation of its digital capability and, as a result, Boston Scientific is already launching Rezum™  in other important markets in the region using the same approach.

All these successful milestones confirm Boston Scientific's commitment to fulfill its mission to advance science, even during the most challenging times like the pandemic. Moreover, its creation of a minimally invasive technology establishes it not just a leader in the treatment of BPH, but also in empowering physicians to reach and effectively treat more patients at every stage of their journey. And for that, the company deserves to be recognised at the Healthcare Asia Medtech Awards as the Training Initiative of the Year (Singapore) winner.

Boston Scientific remains fully committed to advancing science by encouraging new ideas and breakthrough innovation. As it supports the development of new and promising innovation, it will continue to look for solutions that make a difference not just in building their portfolio, but in building the future of healthcare with confidence.

CAUTION: The law restricts these devices to sale by or on the order of a physician. Indications, contraindications, warnings and instructions for use can be found in the product labeling supplied with each device. Products shown for INFORMATION purposes only and may not be approved or for sale in certain countries.

In an interview, Boston Scientific's senior director, commercial excellence in APAC, Deep Tankha spoke about their exceptional strategies in providing innovative medical solutions to improve the lives and health of patients all over the world.