NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Signal Genetics today said that Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield will cover the company's molecular assay for multiple myeloma.
Arkansas BCBS has issued a positive coverage decision and in-network provider status for Signal Genetics' MyPRS gene expression profiling assay, which is performed on isolated plasma cells from a patient's bone marrow. By genomically profiling the cells, a personalized prognostic score and molecular subtype can be obtained that may be predictive of outcomes in patients newly diagnosed with the disease or who have relapsed multiple myeloma, the New York-based molecular diagnostics company said.
Signal said that more than 20,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year in the US.
"With multiple myeloma, achieving prognostic certainty is critical to optimize therapies and ultimately, patient outcome," Signal President and CEO Sam Riccitelli said in a statement. "This announcement is part of our efforts to work with payers across the country to make this important prognostic test available to clinicians and their patients, helping to support personalized medicine with the goal of improving outcomes.”