SYNAPS Dx (SDx), a privately held company focused on the research, development and commercialization of a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), has released data from its study, “The Budget Impact of the DISCERN™ Diagnostic Test for Alzheimer’s Disease in the United States” presented at the International Conference on Aging Diseases and Elderly Care (ICADEC), December 9 – 10, 2022. Results show the DISCERN test can save over $4 million in just three years for a Medicare Advantage plan with one million beneficiaries.
“The economic burden of AD in the US is projected to increase significantly, reaching $1.1 trillion by 2050, signaling the clear need for early and accurate diagnosis to delay disease progression and improve patient outcomes,” says Frederick Huie, M.D., SDx advisory council member. “The DISCERN test is the first and only diagnostic skin test that supports a clinician’s definitive diagnosis of AD, even in people recently diagnosed with dementia.”
Highlights of the study include:
- The DISCERN test yielded a savings of $189.33 per test per year for a savings of $4.75M over three years, representing a net cost reduction of 4% for testing and treatment.
- A more accurate True Negative (TN) reduces costs associated with unnecessary care.
- A more accurate True Positive (TP) is linked to medication effectiveness and avoiding a delay in care.
- The cost of the DISCERN test is offset by higher overall costs associated with tests in the current diagnostic pathway, such as positron emission tomography (PET) or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing.
- Further reducing the current use of medical imaging, such as magnetic imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans, with DISCERN in a scenario analysis of the study, could generate a projected savings of $14.5M.
Frank Amato, CEO and president, SDx, says, “DISCERN, as the only autopsy-validated skin test for AD, is an important test to inform treatment decisions with the coming amyloid beta-directed antibodies for AD dementia. DISCERN directly assesses the presence of AD in people with dementia, even in the presence of mixed-dementia, which affects over half of people living with the condition.”
Amato further highlights that DISCERN is the first AD test of its kind to earn Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) Codes 206U and 207U, and together with this positive economic modeling data, DISCERN is 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 focus on supporting the most cost-effective approaches to identifying and managing AD.
“Tests with very high accuracy at diagnosing AD will become increasingly critical for drug development and disease management,” continues Amato. “DISCERN supports an accurate, definitive diagnosis of AD earlier in the disease and may generate savings for Medicare Advantage plans.”
About SYNAPS Dx
SYNAPS Dx is a privately held company focused on the research, development and commercialization of a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Company offers DISCERN™, the first highly accurate, minimally invasive test supporting a clinician’s definitive diagnosis of AD versus other forms of dementia, even in people recently diagnosed with dementia. SYNAPS Dx’s laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) as qualified to perform high complexity clinical laboratory testing. Physicians and patients seeking more information can visit https://discerntest.com/. For more information on the Company, visit https://www.synapsdx.com/. Contact: info@synapsdx.com.
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