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Kroger Prescription Plans to Offer Myriad Genetics' Vectra DA as Benefit Option

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) -- Kroger Prescription Plans will provide the multi-marker rheumatoid arthritis test VectraDA as a benefit option for its employer group clients, Myriad Genetics announced today.

Rich Adams, senior VP of Kroger Prescription Plans, a pharmacy benefit management services provider, estimated that specialty drugs to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis comprise 10 percent of pharmacy spending in the US. "Vectra DA has demonstrated the ability to improve patient outcomes while optimizing pharmaceutical spending which makes it a highly attractive diagnostic test for our members," Adams said in a statement.

Vectra DA gauges 12 biomarkers and measures rheumatoid arthritis disease activity. Researchers have published data showing that the test impacts doctor's treatment recommendations, helps improve patient's physical function, increases quality-adjusted life years, and decreases costs over 10 years.

According to Myriad, it is in late-stage discussions with Kroger Prescription Plans to implement a similar program for GeneSight, a pharmacogenetic test for selecting psychotropic drugs to which patients with major depressive disorder are most likely to respond.

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