Sequenom will SOAR!!!
November 29, 2011
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The MaterniT21 blood test that was developed and is being marketed by Sequenom will ultimately replace the current diagnostic tools, amniocentesis & chorionic villus sampling (CVS). The amnio causes about a 1 in 200 incidence of miscarriage, it is a very high risk procedure and one of the reasons that it is only offered to women at high risk for a Down Syndrome baby.
Sequenom's MaterniT21 blood test diagnoses Down Syndrome with a simple blood draw from mom as early as 10 weeks into the pregnancy. The cost is $1900, which is FAR less than the cost of an amniocentesis, and more importantly carries ZERO risk of miscarriage. According to Sequenom, despite the $1900 price tag, NO expectant mom will have to pay more than $230 out of pocket for the test. This is by far the lower risk, lower liability, more cost effective option for those moms who want to know if the child they are carrying has Down Syndrome (or some of the other trisomy aneuploidies).
Did I mention that the test has been clinically validated by several studies that have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Genetics in Medicine, and the British Journal of Medicine?
Sequenom has already completed the initial roll out of the test and it is available in 20 major cities throughout the US. Expansion plans are already under way, and a North Carolina site has been chosen as the home for their East Coast facility.
The only remaining variable (and this will come out over the next couple of months or so) is how well the test is being recieved, i.e. demand. This is the only variable left open to question. The test is a lower cost/lower liability option that insurance companies will DEMAND. What insurer would be willing to cover a physician who incurs a miscarriage during an amniocentesis, when a simple blood test was available at half the cost? How many LOW RISK pregnant women will have Down Syndrome babies, and then sue their doctor because he/she neglected to mention that a simple blood draw could have provided them with advance notice in the first trimester (not a pleasant thought, but it is much easier to get a 'termination' in the first trimester).
The availability of genetic screening with a simple blood draw does raise some serious ethical and moral questions; however it is coming and those who want it will STEAMROLL any obstacles in their path. Sequenom is at the leading edge of this technology and has PATENTED the process of interrogating the fetal DNA through maternal blood sampling. Others may try to bring similar tests to market but they will face some heady legal challenges if they dare, and ultimately will pay licensing fees to Sequenom.
Sequenom will be HUGE!
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