Veracyte Launches Campaign To Save Lives Through Early Screening For Lung Cancer

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ: VCYT) today announced that it has partnered with the Lung Cancer Initiative (LCI) on a campaign designed to increase lung cancer screening among high-risk people in North Carolina. The program, Screen Together, encourages people who meet criteria for annual screening – those aged 55 to 74 who are current or previous smokers – to commit with a friend or relative to getting screened for the disease, which kills more than 155,000 people each year in the United States.¹

“Lung cancer is a treatable disease, provided it is caught early,” said Bonnie Anderson, Veracyte’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We are proud to partner with LCI on this pilot campaign, which reflects our commitment to improving outcomes for patients at risk of lung cancer. If successful, we plan to extend the campaign’s reach to other regions of the country to encourage screening among everyone who meets the criteria, and have a broader impact in the fight against this deadly disease.”

Through awareness activities, Screen Together aims to reach at-risk individuals where they live, work and play and inspire them to take charge of their health with the support of a friend, neighbor, colleague or family member and pledge to get screened for lung cancer at www.ScreenTogether.com.

“We are pleased to partner with Veracyte on the Screen Together program to help ensure better outcomes for people in North Carolina who are at increased risk for developing lung cancer,” said Jennifer Garst, MD, board chair of Lung Cancer Initiative and professor of medicine in the Duke Thoracic Oncology Program. “Our hope is to remove some of the fear and anxiety that can accompany the cancer screening process by encouraging people to take the pledge to get screened together with a partner, colleague, family member or friend.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States – more than the next three leading cancers combined.² Early detection through CT screening can dramatically reduce deaths by detecting the cancer early, when it is most treatable. Annual CT screening is now covered by Medicare and most private insurance companies for the 8.6 million Americans who are at increased risk of lung cancer.³

“We see a tremendous opportunity to help improve care for people at high risk of lung cancer – both as part of screening and ultimately at other points in the lung cancer continuum,” said Ms. Anderson. “This includes our Percepta^® Bronchial Genomic Classifier, which helps reduce unnecessary diagnostic surgeries when suspicious nodules are found on CT scans. We also envision some day taking the same genomic technology upon which the Percepta test is based and through a simple nasal swab, determine a patient’s risk of lung cancer. The opportunities to have an impact in alleviating the suffering from lung cancer are tremendous and we are excited about what the future holds.”

About Screen Together

Screen Together is an initiative that encourages those at risk for lung cancer to get screened along with a friend or loved one who may also be at risk. Through awareness activities, Screen Together aims to reach at-risk individuals where they live, work and play and inspire them to take charge of their health with the support of a friend, neighbor, colleague or family member and pledge to get screened for lung cancer at www.ScreenTogether.com.

In North Carolina, Veracyte is collaborating with Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina to drive awareness of Screen Together in their state.

About Veracyte

Veracyte (NASDAQ: VCYT) is a leading genomic diagnostics company that is fundamentally improving patient care by resolving diagnostic uncertainty with evidence that is trustworthy and actionable. The company’s products uniquely combine genomic technology, clinical science and machine learning to provide answers that give physicians and patients a clear path forward without risky, costly surgery that is often unnecessary. Since its founding in 2008, Veracyte has commercialized three genomic classifiers, which are transforming the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, lung cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and collectively target a $2 billion market opportunity. Veracyte is based in South San Francisco, California. For more information, please visit www.veracyte.com and follow the company on Twitter (@veracyte).

About Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina

As the state’s leading non-profit organization supporting lung cancer research and education, the Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina specializes in connecting patients, survivors and loved ones with the medical and research community. The organization’s mission is to save lives and provide support to those affected by lung cancer through research, awareness, education and access programs across North Carolina. For more information, or to get involved, visit www.LungCancerInitiativeNC.org.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “expect,” “believe,” “should,” “may,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, our plans with respect to expanding the program’s reach and the potential benefits of our Percepta test. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: demand for our tests, the applicability of clinical results to actual outcomes; laws and regulations applicable to our business, including potential regulation by the Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory bodies; our ability to successfully achieve and maintain adoption of and reimbursement for our products; the amount by which use of our products are able to reduce invasive procedures and misdiagnosis, and reduce healthcare costs; the occurrence and outcomes of clinical studies; the timing and publication of clinical study results; and other risks set forth in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and Veracyte specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Veracyte, Percepta, and the Veracyte logo are trademarks of Veracyte, Inc.

¹ American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2017.

² Ibid.

³ 2017 American Lung Association “Lung Cancer Fact Sheet” http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/resource-library/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html. Accessed September 5, 2017.