FRIENDSWOOD, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Castle Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTL), a skin cancer diagnostics company providing personalized genomic information to improve cancer treatment decisions, today announced that Medicare Administrative Contractor, Palmetto GBA MolDx, has issued a final expanded local coverage determination (LCD) for the company's DecisionDx®-Melanoma test. The LCD effective date is Nov. 22, 2020. Details on the LCD and the billing and coding article are posted to the Medicare Coverage Database on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website.
DecisionDx-Melanoma is a gene expression profile test that uses an individual patient’s tumor biology to predict individual risk of cutaneous melanoma metastasis or recurrence, as well as sentinel lymph node positivity, independent of traditional staging factors. The test has been studied in more than 5,700 patient samples.
“We are pleased to have received positive expanded coverage for our DecisionDx-Melanoma test for patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma,” said Derek Maetzold, president and chief executive officer of Castle Biosciences. “We believe that adding the personalized genomic information provided by our DecisionDx-Melanoma test to traditional clinical and pathology factors can help clinicians and their patients make improved treatment decisions. This coverage decision provides greater access to our test for people with melanoma, as it allows additional Medicare beneficiaries to incorporate DecisionDx-Melanoma into their management plans.”
Castle Biosciences plans to continue generating and publishing scientific data to demonstrate enhanced clinical utility of the DecisionDx-Melanoma test, which is currently supported by 26 peer-reviewed publications.
About DecisionDx-Melanoma
DecisionDx-Melanoma is a gene expression profile test that uses an individual patient’s tumor biology to predict individual risk of cutaneous melanoma metastasis or recurrence, as well as sentinel lymph node positivity, independent of traditional staging factors, and has been studied in more than 5,700 patient samples. Using tissue from the primary melanoma, the test measures the expression of 31 genes. The test has been validated in four archival risk of recurrence studies of 901 patients and six prospective risk of recurrence studies including more than 1,600 patients. Prediction of the likelihood of sentinel lymph node positivity has also been validated in two prospective multicenter studies that included more than 3,000 patients. Impact on patient management plans for one of every two patients tested has been demonstrated in four multicenter and single-center studies including more than 560 patients. The consistent performance and accuracy demonstrated in these studies provides confidence in disease management plans that incorporate DecisionDx-Melanoma test results. Through June 30, 2020, DecisionDx-Melanoma has been ordered more than 59,900 times for use in patients with cutaneous melanoma.
About Castle Biosciences
Castle Biosciences (Nasdaq: CSTL) is a commercial-stage dermatologic cancer company focused on providing physicians and their patients with personalized, clinically actionable genomic information to make more accurate treatment decisions. The Company currently offers tests for patients with cutaneous melanoma (DecisionDx®-Melanoma, DecisionDx®-CMSeq; www.SkinMelanoma.com), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (DecisionDx®-SCC, www.mySCCskincancer.com) and uveal melanoma (DecisionDx®-UM, DecisionDx®-PRAME and DecisionDx®-UMSeq; www.MyUvealMelanoma.com). Castle also has products in development for other underserved cancers, the most advanced of which is focused on patients who have a difficult-to-diagnose pigmented lesion. Castle Biosciences is based in Friendswood, Texas (Houston), and has laboratory operations in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit www.CastleBiosciences.com.
DecisionDx-Melanoma, DecisionDx-CMSeq, DecisionDx-SCC, DecisionDx-UM, DecisionDx-PRAME and DecisionDx-UMSeq are trademarks of Castle Biosciences, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the ability of DecisionDx-Melanoma test results to predict recurrence and metastatic risk in patients with invasive cutaneous melanoma and optimize or improve diagnostic treatment decisions. The words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements; although, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that we make. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, changes in the competitive landscape and the introduction of competitive products, changes in local coverage determinations, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and results of operations, as well as the other risks set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2020, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, filed with the SEC on August 10, 2020, and in our other filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements are applicable only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.
