DermTech Announces Favorable Coverage Policy With Blues Plan in Michigan for the Foundational Assay of Its DermTech Melanoma Test (DMT)

Published a year ago via Business Wire

DermTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: DMTK) (DermTech or the Company), a leader in precision dermatology enabled by a non-invasive skin genomics technology, today announced a favorable coverage policy with a Blues plan in Michigan. The favorable coverage policy, which is in addition to a contract that became effective in August 2022, enhances access to the foundational assay of the DermTech Melanoma Test (DMT) for the approximately 4.5 million members of this plan. The Pigmented Lesion Assay (PLA), the foundational assay of the DMT, is an innovative, non-invasive way to rule out melanoma with a 99 percent negative predictive value (NPV).

“We are thrilled to join this Blues plan to bring our test to a leading healthcare network in the U.S.,” said Chris Murphy, senior director of payer access, DermTech. “The test rules out melanoma non-invasively, improves patient care and reduces health care costs. The results of our test provide objective genomic data that helps clinicians evaluate a suspicious lesion and determine whether biopsy is necessary. After comprehensively reviewing our most recent clinical and health economic data, payers are recognizing the value of our test and resulting benefits to their membership, network providers and health plans.”

DermTech’s total covered lives in the U.S. are approximately 133 million, which includes 68 million for Medicare/Medicare Advantage and 65 million for commercial and governmental payers.

About The DermTech Melanoma Test

DermTech originally marketed its foundational assay under the name Pigmented Lesion Assay (PLA). The PLA assesses pigmented skin lesions, moles or dark skin spots for melanoma. In particular, the PLA detects expression of the LINC00518 (LINC) and preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) genes using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The Company introduced its second-generation test in 2021 as an add-on assay to PLA, which is designed to identify the presence of mutations in TERT gene promoter region using DNA sequencing. The Company has since branded its PLA and TERT add-on-assay as the DermTech Melanoma Test (DMT). The DMT may be ordered with or without the add-on test for TERT. Positive results for LINC, PRAME or TERT correlate with a lesion at higher risk for melanoma. If none of the biomarkers are detected, this result indicates a greater than 99% probability that the mole being tested is not melanoma.

About DermTech

DermTech is a leading genomics company in dermatology and is creating a new category of medicine, precision dermatology, enabled by its non-invasive skin genomics technology. DermTech’s mission is to improve the lives of millions by providing non-invasive precision dermatology solutions that enable individualized care. DermTech provides genomic analysis of skin samples collected non-invasively using our Smart StickersTM. DermTech markets and develops products that facilitate the early detection of skin cancers. For additional information, please visit DermTech.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The expectations, estimates, and projections of DermTech may differ from its actual results and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” "outlook," “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, expectations and evaluations with respect to: the performance, patient benefits, cost-effectiveness, commercialization and adoption of DermTech’s products and the market opportunity for these products, DermTech’s positioning and potential growth, financial outlook and future financial performance, ability to monetize existing demand by increasing its proportion of reimbursed billable samples, ability to maintain or improve its operating efficiency and reduce operating expenses, the sufficiency of DermTech’s cash resources and runway and ability to access capital to fund its operating plan, the sufficiency of its cash resources to fund planned operations for the anticipated period, anticipated annual cash savings to be realized from the restructuring, implications and interpretations of any study results, and expectations regarding agreements with or reimbursement or cash collection patterns from Medicare, government payers or commercial payers and related billing practices or number of covered lives. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside of the control of DermTech and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against DermTech; (2) DermTech’s ability to obtain additional funding to develop and market its products; (3) the existence of favorable or unfavorable clinical guidelines for DermTech’s tests; (4) the reimbursement of DermTech’s tests by Medicare, government payers and commercial payers; (5) the ability of patients or healthcare providers to obtain coverage of or sufficient reimbursement for DermTech’s products; (6) DermTech’s ability to grow, manage growth and retain its key employees and maintain or improve its operating efficiency and reduce operating expenses; (7) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (8) the market adoption and demand for DermTech’s products and services together with the possibility that DermTech may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (9) other risks and uncertainties included in the “Risk Factors” section of the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by DermTech with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and other documents filed or to be filed by DermTech with the SEC, including subsequently filed reports. DermTech cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. You should not place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. DermTech does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

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