KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genomind®, the leading mental health company bringing precision medicine into mainstream mental health treatment, today announced that it has created a variation of its industry-leading mental health pharmacogenomic (PGx) report that focuses solely on depression and anxiety. Genomind Professional PGx Express™ will now offer its CORE Anxiety and Depression Report™, a 15-gene panel specifically designed for the pharmacogenomics of medications commonly used to treat anxiety and depression. The company is still offering its full mental health report covering 24 genes for healthcare practitioners and their patients needing a broader offering.
Genomind opted to create the focused report in response to the recent UnitedHealthcare (UHC) decision to cover PGx testing for a subset of depression and anxiety patients. Genomind began offering its CORE Anxiety and Depression Report, in conjunction with UHC’s coverage initiation for Genomind’s test for certain patients, on October 1, 2019. Consistent with the format of the full 24-gene report, Genomind will not include medication references on the CORE reports that are available to patients.
“Mental healthcare in the U.S. is in crisis, with costs skyrocketing and suicide rates continuing to climb. Genomind remains committed to being part of the solution by providing innovative tools that are supported by literature and recognized by patients, clinicians, and health plans,” said Shawn Patrick O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer at Genomind. “We have worked with UnitedHealthcare to bring our PGx service in line with their policy and laud their decision to support patients and embrace innovative, effective solutions in mental health. We look forward to working with other health plans to make these important tools more accessible to patients who continue to struggle with unmet medical needs in mental health.”
In an August 2019 network bulletin, UHC issued a positive coverage decision for the use of multi-gene PGx testing, which uses no more than 15 relevant genes, in patients who have:
- Been diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) or anxiety, and
- Failed at least one medication to treat their condition.
In issuing its decision, UHC cited the cost savings demonstrated in several studies examining PGx-guided therapy versus treatment without, including the Perlis et al. study, which used Genomind’s test. This study demonstrated that, compared to similar patients who did not use PGx-guided treatment, patients using Genomind’s test demonstrated an estimated $1,948 cost reduction in the first six months, 40% fewer emergency room visits for any reason, and 58% fewer hospitalizations for any cause.i
According to UHC’s 2019 annual report, its health plans cover 27 million individuals. Given the estimated $1.4 billion market for depression and anxiety treatment, Genomind believes that many patients will be able to benefit from this policy decision. “If the cost and resource savings described in the Perlis et al. study are applied to the patient population with depression and anxiety, we believe that the overall savings to the healthcare system would be in the billions,” continued O’Brien.
“I watched my daughter struggle for years and we had many moments of despair as she spiraled into the depths of anxiety and depression. We wondered if we’d ever find treatments for her that would work,” said Jennifer Connelly, mother of a patient whose clinician prescribed Genomind’s PGx test as part of her mental healthcare program. “Using Genomind’s test has been a lifesaving part of my daughter’s treatment. The information it gave our doctor enabled him to choose a medication more likely to work for her body, which I believe allowed the other pieces – like cognitive therapy and wellness habits – to take root. I am beyond grateful for Genomind’s test, which was such a key part of her healing process, and I hope that more patients are able to use this important tool in their mental health journey.”
Genomind’s new CORE Anxiety and Depression Report is the most advanced and comprehensive depression and anxiety-focused service available in the mental health PGx market. It analyzes 15 genes that Genomind selected due to their documented utility in anxiety and depression treatment. As part of the Genomind Professional PGx Express suite of services, it provides 99.9% accuracy and a turnaround time of less than three days from receipt of the patient sample in Genomind’s lab. UHC patients and physicians receiving the CORE report can also enroll for free in NeuroFlow – a digital platform of behavioral health smart phone apps that help the care teams and patients better track compliance with treatment plans and enable remote monitoring and measurement-based care.
Clinicians will still be able to order Genomind Professional PGx Express with the full 24-gene panel, which covers a broader range of mental health conditions, including substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and bipolar disorder, upon request.
Clinicians can learn more about Genomind Professional PGx Express and the UHC coverage details at Genomind.com or by contacting Genomind’s customer service at 877-895-8658 or customerservice@genomind.com.
About Genomind® Professional PGx Express™ (PGx Express)
Genomind Professional PGx Express is the most advanced and comprehensive mental health pharmacogenomic service available, bundling the results of a patient’s individual genetic profile with a set of services to support the patient and clinician in improving treatment outcomes. With a genetic profile obtained via a safe and painless cheek swab, Genomind offers two versions of its report. The full report analyzes potential variants on 24 pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic genes selected for inclusion based on guidelines from expert consortia and review of hundreds of peer-reviewed studies. Results include genetic information relevant for the treatment of conditions including depression, anxiety, autism, schizophrenia, chronic pain, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse. In addition, Genomind Professional PGx Express offers a CORE Anxiety and Depression Report, which focuses on a subset panel of the 15 genes most relevant to anxiety and depression, and which is currently covered by UnitedHealthcare for certain patients. For both the full and CORE reports, Genomind will provide medication specific results for the clinician report only.
In addition to the genetic profile, PGx Express offers:
- Industry-leading service with 99.9% laboratory accuracy and results within three days;
- Complimentary consultations with Genomind’s expert medical affairs team of MDs, PhDs, and pharmacists to review patient-specific technical and scientific insights;
- An Rx MetaType Card compatible with electronic medical records (EMRs) that provides the individual patient’s genotype and the expected impact (phenotype) for certain genetic variants related to drug metabolism. A patient’s ‘metatype’ can have a critical impact on the effects of drugs on that individual; and
- Access to NeuroFlow, a progressive collaborative care digital platform of behavioral health smart phone apps to help the care team and patients better track compliance with treatment plans and enable remote monitoring and measurement-based care.
About Genomind
Genomind is the leading mental healthcare company, delivering the genetic testing tools that empower clinicians to make more informed treatment decisions and create better outcomes for patients with mental illnesses. As the scientific leader in genetic testing, Genomind’s flagship offering is Genomind Professional PGx Express – the most advanced and comprehensive mental health genetic service available. Supported by a world-class genetics lab and unique consultative approach, Genomind is advancing a new paradigm of personalized medicine in mental health care. Learn more at www.genomind.com.
i 1. Perlis R et al. Pharmacogenetic testing among patients with mood and anxiety disorders is associated with decreased utilization and cost: A propensity‐score matched study. Depression and Anxiety, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22742
