NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Seattle-based NanoString Technologies announced today that health insurer Cigna has issued a positive coverage decision for the Prosigna Breast Cancer Gene Signature Assay.
The decision provides Cigna's approximately 13 million members with access to the test.
"This positive coverage decision is in line with updated ASCO guidelines released in February, wherein Prosigna is considered medically necessary to assess the necessity of adjuvant chemotherapy in ER-positive, HER2-negative, node-negative breast cancer patients, when adjuvant chemotherapy is not precluded due to any other factor," NanoString said in a statement. CEO Brad Gray estimated that 80 percent of patients in the US indicated for Prosigna are now covered.
Prosigna provides a numerical score to assess the risk of disease recurrence, based on the PAM50 gene signature and clinical variables. It runs on NanoString's nCounter Dx platform using RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples.
Cigna is the latest insurer to announce coverage of ProSigna. Earlier this month, Aetna issued a positive coverage decision. Medicare contractors such as Noridian and Palmetto GBA have also decided to cover the test.
NanoString estimated that 135 million Americans are now covered for Prosigna.