NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Myriad and Tufts Health Plan have signed a three-year contract under which Prolaris will be covered for men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer.
Prolaris measures the expression levels of multiple genes involved with cancer cell proliferation and scores how aggressive a patient's prostate cancer is. The test is meant to be used alongside other clinical assessments, such as Gleason score and prostate-specific antigen testing.
During Myriad's Analyst Day last month, the company said that Tufts Health Plan had agreed to extend coverage for Prolaris for all patients with localized disease after evaluating the latest data from studies showing that the test can place 60 percent of prostate cancer patients into active surveillance.
"We believe it will help to improve patient care and lower healthcare costs," Nicole Lambert, general manager of Myriad Genetic Laboratories urology business unit, said in a statement. Myriad believes that the studies conducted on Prolaris show that it provides stronger prognostic information above standard pathology and allows better tailoring of treatments.