ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SYNAPS Dx (SDx), a privately held company focused on the research, development and commercialization of diagnostics for neurodegenerative disorders and conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), announces that DISCERN™, the first autopsy-validated, highly accurate, minimally invasive test for the definitive diagnosis of AD versus other forms of non-AD dementias and those with AD and other degenerative pathologies, is the first AD test of its kind to earn Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) Code 206U and 207U. According to the American Medical Association CPT® Editorial Panel, which approves this code set, PLA codes are alpha-numeric CPT® codes with a corresponding descriptor for labs or manufacturers to more specifically identify their test. Tests with PLA codes must be performed on human specimens and must be requested by the clinical laboratory or manufacturer that offers the test.
“With a growing number of payers looking at the cost and effectiveness of new drugs and therapies for AD, as well as indicators of early-stage AD and benchmarks for coverage decisions, PLA codes distinguish the market position of DISCERN and impact reimbursement,” says Frank Amato, CEO and president, SDx. “DISCERN is now positioned as a critical, essential component of patient-centric, value-based strategies for providers and payers, with three SDx AD biomarkers that accurately identify and distinguish AD from all other dementias. Appropriate medical coding ensures that insurers have all the diagnostic codes necessary for payment.”
There are approximately 500,000 new cases of dementia each year in the United States, with about two million patients in years 0-3 of the disease at any given time. Research supporting DISCERN has been published in over 300 peer-reviewed papers, with results validated using the NIH “Gold Standard” of dementia in life and autopsy confirmation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Frederick Huie, MD, advisory council member, SDx, says, “These PLA codes put DISCERN on track to potentially reduce the economic burden of AD across the healthcare system. With demand for early-stage diagnosis at an all-time high, the introduction of this non-invasive test reinforces our focus on supporting the most cost-effective AD treatment.”
About SYNAPS Dx
SYNAPS Dx is privately held company focused on the research, development and commercialization of diagnostics for neurological disorders and conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease. The Company offers DISCERN™, the first accurate, minimally invasive test for the definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) versus other forms of dementia. SYNAPS Dx’s laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) as qualified to perform high complexity clinical laboratory testing. If you are a physician or a patient looking for more information on the DISCERN™ test, visit https://discerntest.com/. For more information on the Company, visit https://www.synapsdx.com/. Contact: info@synapsdx.com.
