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NEWS RELEASE (updated)
Metamark Announces Partnership with Highmark Blue Shield
to Provide Access to Comprehensive Urology Diagnostics
April 21, 2015 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metamark announced today that it has signed an
agreement with Highmark Blue Shield to provide its members with in-network access to Metamark’s
comprehensive suite of urology specialized diagnostic offerings. The agreement covers Highmark
Blue Shield members in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“Medical and technological advancements are enabling a transformation in the
way prostate cancer is diagnosed, classified and treated”
Metamark provides access to sophisticated diagnostic and prognostic tools that enable urologists to
chart their patient’s optimal treatment path throughout the continuum of prostate care.
“Medical and technological advancements are enabling a transformation in the way prostate cancer
is diagnosed, classified and treated,” said Metamark CEO Shawn Marcell. “There is increasing
awareness among payers regarding the potential for new diagnostic tools to improve patient care
and decrease health care costs. Metamark is at the forefront of this transformation, taking a
comprehensive approach to the disease that combines our deep uropathology expertise with tests
that help urologists to make more personalized treatment decisions for their patients. We are excited
about our agreement with Highmark and look forward to working with Highmark to expand availability
of Metamark’s novel tests.”
About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in the United States with roughly
233,000 men diagnosed each year1. Approximately 87 percent of these men will elect aggressive
therapy that could be avoided with access to more sophisticated diagnostic tools. The majority of
these cases involve indolent tumors that are associated with little risk to a man’s health or longevity.
NEWS RELEASE (updated)
About Metamark
Metamark is a privately held company dedicated to improving cancer care by providing the next
generation of diagnostic and prognostic testing. The company is advancing its contribution to
oncology through its proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms, a growing clinical
research effort and corporate alliances. Metamark has assembled a unique portfolio of testing
services and products to inform critical decisions at each step of the care pathway in prostate cancer
including its proprietary ProMark™ assay and Progensa® PCA3 assay. The company’s interests also
include bladder, colon and breast cancers. For more information, please visit the Metamark website
at http://www.metamarkgenetics.com/.
About ProMark™
ProMark™ is a test that provides an individualized score that helps patients and physicians
determine the most appropriate treatment options for men diagnosed with prostate cancer,
specifically patients with biopsy Gleason grades 3+3 or 3+4 for whom standard-of-care based
medical decision making is currently insufficient. Metamark is commercializing ProMark through the
company's CLIA-certified laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
About Progensa® PCA3
The Progensa® PCA3 assay is the first urine-based molecular test to provide an extra layer of
assurance for at-risk men who have already received one or more negative biopsies. The Progensa
PCA3 assay is provided to Metamark by Hologic.
Metamark™ and ProMark™ are trademarks of Metamark.
Progensa® PCA3 is a trademark of Hologic
Highmark is an affiliate of Blue Cross Blue Shield.
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National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. SEER Stat
Fact Sheets: Prostate Cancer. Available at: http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html.
Accessed: April 20, 2015.
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