Myriad Genetics Releases New Data About GeneSight Precision Medicine Testing
Myriad Genetics in conjunction with their wholly owned subsidary, Assurex Health, released a years worth of data related to their GeneSight Pharmacogenomic test that is used by medical providers, psychiatrist, and mental health professionals whom are prescribing medications used to treat major mood disorders. The GeneSight test is clinically proven, genetic based decision support making tool that the makers tout as being able to help patients get on the right medication faster.
GeneSight Genetic Testing for Psychiatric Drugs
The study of Genesight involved a year long look at determining the potential cost savings offered by Genesight in patients who were being treated by either primary care physicians or psychiatrists who were either switched to a new psychiatric drug or were started on another drug after not responding to current medication therapies. The study found that:
The findings showed that primary care providers (PCPs) treat the majority of mental health patients receiving psychotropic medication prescriptions, including treatment resistant patients. In fact, patients treated by PCPs had tried a median of five medications, similar to psychiatrists whose patients had tried six medications. The data also demonstrated that PCPs who treated patients congruently with the GeneSight test saved payers and patients an average of $3,998 compared to incongruent decisions (p<0.001). Additionally, psychiatrists who treated patients congruently with the GeneSight test saved an average of $1,308.
For the full text of this study on the results of the economic utility of pharmacogenomic testing.
For more information on pharmacogenomic testing and this Pharmacogenomic test in particular visit GeneSight’s website. A brief description of the test from the companies website:
In multiple previous studies, GeneSight, a combinatorial multigene pharmacogenomic test, has shown an ability to predict poorer antidepressant outcomes and to help guide healthcare providers to more genetically optimal medications, leading to improved patient outcomes.1-4 In this study, GeneSight better discriminated and predicted clinical and economic outcomes than phenotypes derived from individual genes tested singly. GeneSight identified patients who were predicted to do poorly on their medications, allowing healthcare providers to modify their treatment regimens. In contrast, traditional gene phenotyping was not able to identify patients with poor outcomes, resulting in a lack of clinical validity and consequently the inability for clinical action.