Health Care Professional FAQs: Learning More About VeriStrat®

Q: What is VeriStrat?

A: VeriStrat is a pre-treatment serum test that was developed to help identify patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are likely to have a good or poor outcomes following treatment with EGFR-TKI therapies. The test has been evaluated in more than 1000 patients in clinical studies.1

Q: Why should I use VeriStrat with my NSCLC patients?

A: When determining the selection of either single agent chemotherapy or EGFR-TKI therapy for patients with advanced NSCLC, VeriStrat provides you with additional information to help guide clinical judgment.

Q: When should I use VeriStrat?

A: VeriStrat is intended to be used for patients with advanced NSCLC who have progressed after at least one prior chemotherapy regimen or who are not able to receive chemotherapy. The test should be conducted prior to EGFR-TKI treatment on a pretreatment serum sample.

Q: What type of sample is required for VeriStrat?

A: VeriStrat is a simple blood test; pre-treatment serum is used. No tumor tissue samples are required.

Q: Has VeriStrat been validated?

A: VeriStrat has been validated in a multi-institutional clinical study.2 Currently, a prospective trial is underway. For more detailed information on the prospective trial, click here.

Q: How quickly will I get the test results?

A: In most cases, test results are provided by fax within 72 hours. In a small percentage of cases, the results are indeterminate, and the test may need to be performed again.

Q: Are there specific processes to follow regarding sample collection and submission?

A: Yes, it is important to adhere to instructions when collecting patient samples and submitting them to Biodesix. For detailed instructions, please refer to the How to Submit section. If you have any questions regarding test preparation or shipping, please call the VeriStrat Support Hotline at 1-866-432-5930.

Q: Is VeriStrat reimbursed?

A: Biodesix is committed to making VeriStrat accessible to patients who need the test. As part of our reimbursement services, Biodesix will bill insurance plans directly on behalf of insured patients whose physicians have ordered the VeriStrat test. Biodesix has also established the VeriStrat Support Hotline which is a free service with customer representatives who work with patients, caregivers, physicians, and insurance carriers to determine if the VeriStrat test will be covered. As a health care provider, you may be asked to provide additional medical information in response to a patient’s claim denial. Investigating insurance coverage can be complex and VeriStrat Support is available to offer assistance throughout the process.

Q: Does Biodesix have a financial support program for patients?

A: The Biodesix Patient Support Program offers patients two options. The first option is a Patient Assistance Program (PAP) for people without insurance coverage. The second option is a Financial Assistance Program (FAP) for people with insurance, but for whom coverage for the VeriStrat test was denied or only partially provided. These programs were developed to ensure that all patients get the financial assistance they need.

If you would like more information about these patient support programs, please refer to the Patient Support Program section of this website by clicking here or call the VeriStrat Support Hotline at 1-866-432-5930.

References

1. Data on file, Biodesix, Inc.

2. Taguchi F, Solomon B, Gregorc V, et al. Mass spectrometry to classify non-small-cell lung cancer patients for clinical outcome after treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a multicohort cross-institutional study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007;99:838-846.