California’s Medicaid healthcare programme, Medi-Cal, has added coverage for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy in adults and adolescents aged 15 and older with major depressive disorder (MDD).

The policy update will go into effect on 1 August 2024.

Neuronetics is currently the only company to have a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared TMS system for the treatment of adolescents.

California’s new policy means TMS is covered by 17 US state Medicaid programmes.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 21 million adults in the US had at least one major depressive episode in 2021. In the same year, 5 million US adolescents aged 12 to 17 in had at least one major depressive episode.

Neuronetics won FDA clearance in March this year for its NeuroStar device as an add-on therapy to antidepressant therapy in adolescent patients with MDD. The therapy is a non-invasive option for MDD patients who do not respond to antidepressant medications. The treatment works by stimulating neurons in the brain that regulate mood.

Neuronetics CEO Keith Sullivan said: “At a time when mental health services are more essential than ever, expanded access to NeuroStar TMS through Medi-Cal is a pivotal step in addressing the growing need for care among both adults and adolescents.”

“NeuroStar’s Health Policy team is fully committed to collaborating with providers and payors on policy updates that enhance availability for those in need.”

Also in the TMS space is BrainsWay, who are investigating a new type of magnetic technology. The company’s rotational field TMS system increases the number of neurons that are activated during therapy, in the fields of rehabilitation following stroke and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).