SpaceOAR

What SpaceOAR does

SpaceOAR Hydrogel is an FDA-cleared, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based absorbable hydrogel medical device designed to temporarily create approximately 1.3 cm of physical separation between the prostate and rectum during prostate cancer radiation therapy. The spacer remains in place for roughly three months and is naturally absorbed by the body within approximately six months, reducing rectal radiation dose by about 75% for Grade 1 rectal toxicity and helping preserve urinary and sexual quality of life. A second variant, SpaceOAR Vue™ Hydrogel, incorporates iodine for enhanced CT scan visibility during treatment planning. Both products are manufactured and sold by Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX), which acquired the original developer Augmenix, Inc. in 2018; the technology was initially developed beginning in 2007 and has since been used in over 50,000 patients across 500+ cancer centers worldwide, with 400,000+ units shipped cumulatively.

The product is sold as a one-time-use medical device to healthcare facilities (hospitals, cancer centers, surgery centers, outpatient clinics) and implanted by certified urologists and radiation oncologists in an outpatient procedure taking approximately 30 minutes. Boston Scientific distributes through its global medical device sales force and operates a certified-physician training and Center of Excellence program (75+ cases annually for elite designation). All U.S. Medicare Administrative Contractors cover the procedure when medically necessary, and Boston Scientific provides benefit verification and pre-authorization support to providers and patients. End customers are prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, with secondary customers being the healthcare professionals who perform the implantation; marketing combines direct-to-consumer patient education (multilingual website, patient testimonials, Find a Doctor tool) with healthcare professional outreach. Original Augmenix pre-acquisition venture funding totaled approximately $42.9M across seven rounds (2008-2016) from investors including Varian, Catalyst Health Ventures, Ascension Ventures, and Versant Ventures.

Name

SpaceOAR

Legal name

Boston Scientific Corporation

Website

https://spaceoar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SpaceOAR Hydrogel is a Boston Scientific-owned, FDA-cleared PEG-based absorbable hydrogel that temporarily separates the prostate and rectum during prostate cancer radiation therapy to reduce side effects, serving radiation oncologists, urologists, and patients across 500+ cancer centers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radiation Oncology Medical Devices

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Radiation Oncology (HLAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Prostate cancer hydrogels
• Radiation oncology devices
• Rectal spacer systems
• Absorbable medical hydrogels
• Radiotherapy protective devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Sales: SpaceOAR Hydrogel is sold as a medical device to healthcare facilities and physicians. It is a one-time procedure product used during prostate cancer radiation treatment. Revenue is generated through Boston Scientific's medical device distribution channels to hospitals, cancer centers, and physician practices.
2. Medicare Reimbursement: All Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) cover and reimburse for the SpaceOAR Hydrogel procedure when medically necessary, providing reimbursement pathway for healthcare providers and supporting patient access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SpaceOAR Hydrogel is an FDA-cleared, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based absorbable hydrogel that is injected as a liquid between the rectum and prostate, where it solidifies to create approximately 1.3 cm of temporary space during prostate cancer radiation therapy. The spacer reduces radiation dose to the rectum, lowering rates of bowel, urinary, and sexual side effects, and is naturally absorbed by the body within about six months. The product is implanted by certified urologists and radiation oncologists as a roughly 30-minute outpatient procedure performed under local or general anesthesia.

Product overview

SpaceOAR is a medical device portfolio consisting of two core products: SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel and SpaceOAR Vue™ Hydrogel. Both are FDA-cleared absorbable polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrogel spacers used during prostate cancer radiation therapy. SpaceOAR Vue contains iodine for enhanced CT imaging. These products are manufactured by Boston Scientific and are implanted procedurally by physicians to create temporary separation between the prostate and rectum, reducing radiation exposure to surrounding tissues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SpaceOAR Vue: SpaceOAR Vue is a variant of the SpaceOAR Hydrogel that contains iodine to assist with CT scan visibility during procedure planning.
• SpaceOAR

Products and services

• SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel FDA-cleared, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based absorbable hydrogel injected as a liquid between the rectum and prostate to create approximately 1.3 cm of temporary space during prostate cancer radiation therapy, reducing radiation dose to the rectum and minimizing bowel, urinary, and sexual side effects. Implanted by certified urologists and radiation oncologists as a ~30-minute outpatient procedure.
• SpaceOAR Vue™ Hydrogel Variant of SpaceOAR Hydrogel that contains iodine to assist with CT scan visibility during treatment planning for prostate cancer radiation therapy, while otherwise providing the same PEG-based absorbable rectal spacing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grade 1 rectal toxicity decreased by 75% in SpaceOAR Hydrogel patients versus control group at 3 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Palette Life Sciences: Maker of Barrigel, a hyaluronic acid-based injectable rectal spacer for prostate cancer radiation therapy. Directly competes with SpaceOAR in the same physician call point and same clinical workflow.
• BioProtect: Israeli medical device company that developed ProSpace, a biodegradable balloon spacer designed to separate the prostate and rectum during radiation therapy. Competes head-to-head with SpaceOAR on the same clinical use case.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Scientific Corporation: Acquired Augmenix (original SpaceOAR developer) in 2018 and now owns/distributes the SpaceOAR product line. Comparable as the parent strategic operator and through its broader urology and radiation-oncology portfolio that calls on the same customers.
• Elekta: Global radiation therapy equipment manufacturer (linacs, Gamma Knife, brachytherapy afterloaders). Customers purchasing Elekta linear accelerators are the same radiation oncology departments that adopt rectal spacers such as SpaceOAR.
• Varian Medical Systems (a Siemens Healthineers company): Largest radiation oncology treatment-planning and linear-accelerator vendor (now part of Siemens Healthineers). Operates upstream of SpaceOAR — its installed base defines the addressable market of clinics performing prostate IGRT.
• Accuray: Radiation therapy systems vendor (CyberKnife, TomoTherapy) used in many of the same prostate cancer treatment protocols referenced in SpaceOAR's clinical evidence. Comparable via shared radiation-oncology call point.
• ViewRay: Developer of MR-guided radiation therapy systems (MRIdian) that compete with conventional linacs in prostate radiotherapy. Relevant incumbent because MR-guided adaptive therapy is a strategic alternative to physical rectal spacers.
• Hologic: Women's health and surgical device company that acquired Palette Life Sciences (Barrigel maker). Competes with SpaceOAR through its newly acquired prostate-rectal spacer franchise and shares overlapping urology/oncology GTM channels.
• BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company): Diversified medical device company with a substantial urology and surgical specialty portfolio (via the Bard acquisition). Calls on the same urology customer base and competes for hospital and ASC procedural budgets.

Others

• Theragenics: Brachytherapy seeds and radiation-therapy accessory provider; not a direct rectal-spacer competitor but a thematically adjacent prostate-cancer treatment supplier to the same radiation-oncology customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SpaceOAR