Aclarion, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACON, ACONW) reported first quarter 2026 financial results on April 30, 2026, highlighting a 196% year-over-year increase in Nociscan scan volumes and a 64% sequential increase from the fourth quarter of 2025. The company attributed the growth to new account activations and deeper utilization within existing sites, signaling that Nociscan is becoming increasingly integrated into clinical workflows for chronic low back pain diagnosis.
The company noted that approximately 5.8 million lumbar MRIs are performed annually in the U.S. for low back pain, representing a potential $2 billion market opportunity for technologies like Nociscan that provide objective, data-driven evaluation of discogenic pain. CEO Brent Ness described the quarter as a clear inflection point, stating, "We are still in the early stages of commercializing Nociscan into a large and underpenetrated market."
Reimbursement progress in the U.K. has been a key catalyst, with three of the four largest private insurers—Vitality, AXA, and Aviva—now covering Nociscan. The company also launched a targeted direct-to-patient campaign featuring Mr. John Sutcliffe, Consultant Spinal Neurosurgeon at The London Clinic. A video of the campaign is available here. In the U.S., Aclarion continues to engage with payers through its Nociscan Reimbursement Program.
Clinical development remains a priority, with the CLARITY randomized trial progressing. A preliminary internal readout is expected in the second half of 2026, with public disclosure of early interim results anticipated in late 2026. The company also has seven ongoing clinical trials and multiple investigator-initiated real-world evidence trials to support reimbursement discussions and potential local coverage decisions.
Aclarion strengthened its intellectual property portfolio with a newly issued patent covering the use of AI in workflows of future products. The company now holds 64 issued and pending patents worldwide. Financially, Aclarion reported $19.0 million in cash as of March 31, 2026, with no debt. With 2,882,371 fully diluted shares outstanding, this equates to approximately $6.60 per share in cash. The company also announced a $2.5 million share repurchase program and believes its cash runway extends into the second half of 2027.
The Nociscan platform uses magnetic resonance spectroscopy and proprietary algorithms to help physicians identify painful discs in the lumbar spine, offering a noninvasive alternative for guiding treatment decisions. For more information, visit www.aclarion.com.
