Genedrive's test kit for stroke treatment receives NICE recommendation
[Source: Genedrive]
UK molecular diagnostics company (,) has received draft guidance from the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the use of CYP2C19 genotyping before administering the drug clopidogrel to ischemic stroke patients.
Genedrive’s CYP2C19 ID Kit is a molecular point-of-care test for rapid CYP2C19 genotyping, to be used to identify which patients may or may not respond to mainline antiplatelet therapy (blood clot prevention drugs) following ischemic stroke. Clopidogrel is a drug that is often given to ischemic stroke patients to prevent further clot formation but is less effective in individuals with certain genetic CYP2C19 variants because they do not metabolise clopidogrel fully.
NICE's specialist diagnostics assessment committee conducted a thorough review of the clinical and economic impact of genetic testing, finding that CYP2C19 genetic testing strategies could lead to cost savings and improved life expectancy compared to no testing. By screening patients to determine their resistance to clopidogrel, alternative treatments and better clinical outcomes can be achieved.
While Genedrive's CYP2C19 ID test is still under development, the NICE Committee incorporated its predicted performance and pricing into its models. A comprehensive review of the test is included in the Committee Papers of the public consultation documents.
David Budd, CEO of Genedrive plc, said: "This is the second time we have had the opportunity to work with NICE on recommendations for pharmacogenetic testing and I am pleased that they are very much in-line and supportive of our strategy in point of care pharmacogenomics for emergency care. Our product has a number of performance and workflow features including ready-to-go room temperature reagents, rapid turnaround time, extended genomic variant coverage and integration capability with hospital data management systems that will foster its adoption and uptake compared to alternatives."
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Genedrive has hit another milestone in the development of its CYP2C19 ID test kit, which, when available, will provide superior patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.
The demand for Genedrive's test kit is incredibly high due to its critical importance in addressing a significant health crisis. In the UK alone, there are over 100,000 cases of strokes, 60,000 transient ischaemic attacks, and a staggering 38,000 associated deaths each year. Moreover, on a global scale, there is a substantial market opportunity for Genedrive as strokes rank as the second leading cause of death worldwide.
Genedrive's test kit also offers huge cost-saving benefits, as evidenced by the significant financial impact of strokes on the NHS, with the annual cost of strokes alone surpassing £3 billion within the healthcare system. However, when considering broader factors such as the societal cost, including the loss of productivity among stroke survivors of working age and the extensive hours dedicated by unpaid caregivers, the overall economic burden escalates to £26 billion per year.
During a time of unprecedented pressure on the NHS, stripping out the cost of ineffective prescriptions and reducing the burden of avoidable illness and adverse drug reactions could present a substantial cost-saving opportunity, in addition to optimising the desired outcome and safety of the care each individual patient receives.
As Genedrive continues to progress towards the launch of its CYP2C19 test kit in the UK, make sure to follow the company to stay up to date with news and updates: .
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