SUFFERN, NY, January 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – WATS3D, an AI-powered diagnostic platform developed by CDx Diagnostics to identify pre-cancerous and cancerous cells in the esophagus, is now considered a clinically necessary service by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. According to accepted standards of medical practice based on reliable scientific evidence and recommendations from the gastrointestinal society, South Carolina’s largest private health insurer will now cover WATS3D tests for more than 1.2 million members.
WATS3D overcomes the limitations associated with traditional upper endoscopic screening and surveillance methods through the use of a unique combination of superior sampling, advanced 3D imaging and advanced Artificial Intelligence analysis to safely detect Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal dysplasia. In large multicenter clinical trials, WATS3D has been found to significantly increase the detection rate of BE and esophageal dysplasia, demonstrating the far-reaching implications of WATS3D Diagnostic platform powered by Artificial Intelligence to diagnose and prevent esophageal cancer, one of the fastest growing and most fatal cancers in the United States.
“CDx Diagnostics, Inc. is pleased to receive the clinically necessary designation for WATS3D BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, ”said Bill Huffnagle, CEO of CDx Diagnostics. “South Carolina joins Massachusetts and Hawaii as states where insurers are recognizing the impact on patient outcomes and the importance of taking WATS3D most widely available tests. Doctors in these states now have advanced technology and screening that they can use to fight cancer, while their patients are reassured that the test is covered by their insurance plans. “
CDx completed the five main pillars of evidence-based medicine for WATS3D, including analytical validity, clinical validity, clinical utility, cost effectiveness and recommendations from leading medical societies. The technology has been recognized by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and the American Foregut Society (AFS).
In 2019, ASGE included WATS3D the guidelines of the Practice Standards Committee for screening and surveillance of BE. In 2020, the technology was considered a safe and effective complement to forceps biopsies in the evaluation of BE, low-grade dysplasia and high-grade dysplasia by SAGES and its Technology and Value Assessment Committee (TAVAC).
About CDx Diagnostics
CDx Diagnostics’ mission of Empowering doctors with innovative technology to prevent esophageal cancer, One patient at a time it is performed by a proprietary diagnostic platform that synthesizes computer images, artificial intelligence, molecular biology and three-dimensional cytopathology to detect precancerous changes earlier and more reliably than previous methods. CDx tests require only a few minutes of practice, are highly economical, widely reimbursed and address a recognized critical gap in the current diagnostic treatment pattern that results in thousands of unnecessary cancer deaths each year. Routine clinical use of CDx testing has already detected thousands of cancers that would otherwise have been lost in time for effective endoscopic treatment and the application of the CDx diagnostic platform to prevent cancers of the bile duct, stomach and colon affected by DII is currently underway. CDx Diagnostics is a company in the Galen Partners portfolio. To learn more, visit http://www.cdxdiagnostics.com.
Donnie Turlington
Phone: 336-991-7711