Pillar Biosciences Achieves Nationwide Medicare Coverage for Innovative oncoReveal® CDx Pan-Cancer Testing

Pillar Biosciences Earns Medicare Coverage for oncoReveal® CDx Kit

Pillar Biosciences, Inc., recognized as a frontrunner in Decision Medicine™, has made significant strides in oncological testing with the announcement of nationwide Medicare coverage for its oncoReveal® CDx pan-cancer solid tumor in vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit. This milestone, confirmed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), aims to broaden patient access to advanced cancer profiling, ultimately driving better healthcare outcomes.

The oncoReveal® CDx kit utilizes cutting-edge next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, specifically Pillar's proprietary SLIMamp (Stem-Loop Inhibition-Mediated amplification) methodology, to identify single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertions, and deletions within 22 oncogenes. By analyzing DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue samples, this kit furnishes oncologists with crucial insights for tailoring treatment plans to better suit individual patient profiles.

Notably, the oncoReveal® CDx also serves a dual purpose. It has been approved as a companion diagnostic tool, enabling healthcare professionals to identify patients who are likely to benefit from therapeutics such as the EGFR TKI in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Additionally, it aids in targeting KRAS mutations in colorectal cancer (CRC), enhancing the precision of treatment strategies across diverse oncological contexts.

Brian Wright, Pillar's Chief Marketing Officer, heralded this CMS coverage as a transformative moment for the company and the patients it serves. By partnering with Illumina, Pillar has positioned itself at the forefront of rapid and affordable NGS testing, which can now be performed locally in any laboratory equipped for NGS. With Medicare coverage extending to over 66 million beneficiaries, this advancement promises to make highly accurate, actionable, and reimbursable testing readily available to clinical laboratories and biopharmaceutical companies nationwide.

Traci Pawlowski, Vice President and Head of Clinical Solutions at Illumina, emphasized the broader implications of making genomic testing accessible. “Next-generation sequencing holds profound promise to change the course of disease for so many cancer patients, but only if it is accessible. We are proud to partner with leaders like Pillar Biosciences to make genomic testing more accessible and affordable, so that more patients can benefit from targeted therapy breakthroughs.”

Pillar Biosciences operates with a mission at the heart of Decision Medicine™, which seeks to enhance the precision and efficacy of cancer treatments through advanced genomic testing. Their NGS solutions, propelled by proprietary technologies including SLIMamp® and PiVAT®, work to streamline the diagnostic process, reduce costs, and improve overall access to essential testing for clinicians and their patients globally.

With over 20 distinct NGS testing kits currently available in IVD or RUO formats and several others in various stages of development, Pillar is set to redefine the landscape of cancer diagnostics. As the company looks to the future, it aims to not only fulfill the immediate needs of the healthcare system but also pave the way for expansive growth in personalized cancer care. The anticipated proposed pricing report for the oncoReveal® CDx by Medicare contractors in Q2 of this year will further clarify its role in enhancing the treatment landscape for cancer patients.

For more details on Pillar Biosciences and their innovative offerings, visit pillarbiosci.com and engage with them on LinkedIn.