IRVINE, Calif. and AMSTERDAM, Jan. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Agendia, an innovative molecular cancer diagnostics company, today announced that the company has signed a contract with Blue Shield of California, making Agendia an in-network provider. The move paves the way for future in-network coverage for MammaPrint® and other Agendia tests by Blue Cross affiliates across the United States. Developed and commercialized by Agendia, MammaPrint is the keystone of the company’s Symphony suite of breast cancer assays, and the first and only molecular breast cancer recurrence assay cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2007. The gene expression signature assay is used by physicians as a prognostic and predictive tool to identify patients whose risk of metastases is high, requiring chemotherapy, and those at a low risk of metastases, who can be treated just as effectively with other therapies that cause fewer adverse side effects.
“Agendia’s contract with Blue Shield of California not only provides more patients with access to MammaPrint, but it also has the potential to open the door to future coverage across the Blue Shield network,” said Agendia’s CEO, David Macdonald.
As a result of the contract, Agendia will be reimbursed for its MammaPrint test at an in-network rate, benefiting patients by reducing any financial obligation they might carry. Several major payers, including Medicare, Humana, United and others have issued medical coverage policies for MammaPrint. In addition to Blue Shield of California, Agendia has entered contracts with Palmetto, Humana, Coventry and several national PPO plans.
About Agendia:
Agendia is a leading global commercial molecular diagnostic company that develops and markets genomic-based diagnostic products that improve the quality of life for cancer patients and simplifies complex treatment decisions for their physicians. Agendia’s Symphony suite of breast cancer products is based on the analysis of hundreds of genes in a patient’s breast and provides unprecedented biological insight to address complex treatment decisions. Symphony includes MammaPrint, the first and only FDA-cleared IVDMIA breast cancer recurrence assay, as well as BluePrint, a molecular subtyping assay, TargetPrint®, an ER/PR/HER2 expression assay, and TheraPrint®, a therapy selection assay. Together, these tests help physicians determine a patient’s individual risk for metastasis, which patients will benefit from chemo or hormonal therapy, and which patients do not require these treatments and can instead be treated with other less arduous and costly methods.
In addition to the Symphony suite of tests, Agendia has a rich pipeline of genomic products in development based on its world-class genomic platform. The company also collaborates with pharmaceutical companies to develop companion diagnostic tests in the area of oncology and is a critical partner in the ISPY-2 and MINDACT trials.
Agendia was founded in 2003 as a spin-off of the Netherlands Cancer Institute and is based in Irvine, California, United States, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For more information, please visit www.agendia.com.
For further information, please contact:
Ricochet Public Relations
Todd Aydelotte
Tel: +1 212 679 3300
E-mail: todd@ricochetpr.com
SOURCE Agendia
