Press release
Natera Announces Commercial Coverage for Prospera™ Kidney and Prospera Heart™ from a Top BCBS Plan
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, today announced that it has received
About this update from Natera, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":" AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nNatera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, today announced that it has received commercial insurance coverage for its Prospera Heart and Prospera Kidney tests from one of the largest Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) plans in the U.S. Prospera is a non-invasive blood test that analyzes donor-derived cfDNA (dd-cfDNA) to evaluate the risk of organ transplant rejection.\n\n\nThe coverage policy includes serial testing with Prospera to assess graft status and identify the risk of rejection following a kidney or heart transplant. Commercially insured patients have historically had limited access to dd-cfDNA testing, but that is changing as a result of recent medical society endorsements and guidelines that support the use of dd-cfDNA.1-3\n\n\n“We are thrilled with this new policy, which increases access to Prospera for commercially insured transplant patients and adds to the existing Medicare coverage in heart, kidney, and lung,” said Bernie Tobin, general manager of organ health at Natera. “Improving long-term outcomes for this population starts with more accurate and non-invasive tools to identify potential graft issues earlier.”\n\n\nNatera and its academic partners have published significant peer-reviewed evidence supporting the clinical utility of Prospera. Natera’s organ health products have been featured in 39 peer-reviewed manuscripts, which have been published or accepted in top journals, including the recently accepted publications from the Trifecta Heart, DTRT, and ProActive studies. In addition, Natera has completed enrollment in the PEDAL and MOTR trials. These are both multi-site, prospective studies designed to provide novel evidence supporting the clinical utility of Prospera, with expected publication in 2024.\n\n\nAbout the Prospera test\n\n\nThe Prospera™ test leverages Natera’s core single-nucleotide (SNP)-based massively multiplexed PCR (mmPCR) technology to identify allograft rejection non-invasively and with high precision and accuracy, without the need for prior donor or recipient genotyping. The test works by measuring the fraction of donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) in the recipient’s blood. It may be used by physicians considering the diagnosis of active rejection, helping to rule in or out this condition when evaluating the need for d...