Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM), a life sciences company providing innovative genetic analysis solutions, today announced that it has signed an agreement with U.S. health insurance provider Coventry Health Care National Network to provide coverage for the Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine’s (Sequenom CMM) MaterniT21 PLUS laboratory-developed test (LDT). The test detects certain fetal trisomies in women at increased risk of carrying a child with one of these chromosomal anomalies.
The agreement ensures that the 2.2 million members of the Coventry First Health PPO network will have coverage for Sequenom CMM’s MaterniT21 PLUS testing service, with access to more than 5,000 hospitals and 500,000 health professionals in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
“The coverage of the Sequenom CMM MaterniT21 PLUS LDT by the Coventry network is an important milestone, as it will ensure that doctors who are Coventry members will have access to this important testing service to help provide expectant families with important information about their pregnancy through a noninvasive, highly accurate technology,” said Harry F. Hixson, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Sequenom, Inc.
The MaterniT21 PLUS LDT is intended for use in pregnant women at increased risk for fetal aneuploidy and can be used as early as 10 weeks gestation. In the United States, there are an estimated 750,000 high-risk pregnancies each year. Results of the MaterniT21 PLUS LDT delivered to ordering physicians will include the presence of trisomy 21, 18 or 13 for patients at increased risk of one of these anomalies. The MaterniT21 PLUS test is available through Sequenom CMM as a testing service to physicians. To learn more, please visit Sequenomcmm.com.
About Sequenom
Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM) is a life sciences company committed to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions. Sequenom develops innovative technology, products and diagnostic tests that target and serve discovery and clinical research, and molecular diagnostics markets. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Sequenom maintains a Web site at http://www.sequenom.com to which Sequenom regularly posts copies of its press releases as well as additional information about Sequenom. Interested persons can subscribe on the Sequenom Web site to email alerts or RSS feeds that are sent automatically when Sequenom issues press releases, files its reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission or posts certain other information to the Web site.
Sequenom CMM, LLC
Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine® (Sequenom CMM), a CAP accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics laboratory, is developing a broad range of laboratory-developed tests with a focus on prenatal and ophthalmic diseases and conditions. These laboratory-developed tests provide beneficial patient management options for obstetricians, geneticists, maternal fetal medicine specialists, ophthalmologists and retinal specialists. Sequenom CMM is changing the landscape in genetic disorder diagnostics using proprietary cutting edge technologies.
