Request for insurance coverage aims to enhance
early detection and treatment of esophageal precancer to prevent
highly lethal esophageal cancer
NEW
YORK, Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/
-- Lucid Diagnostics Inc. (Nasdaq:
LUCD) ("Lucid" or the "Company") a commercial-stage,
cancer prevention medical diagnostics company and subsidiary of
PAVmed Inc. (Nasdaq: PAVM), today announced that the American
Foregut Society (AFS), a leading society of gastroenterologists and
surgeons collaborating to improve patient outcomes, including in
esophageal disease, has formally requested that health insurance
providers update their medical policies to include the
EsoGuard® Esophageal DNA test as a covered service.
The open letter, posted on the society website, highlights the
critical need for early detection of esophageal precancer
(Barrett's Esophagus or BE) to prevent highly lethal esophageal
cancer, the strong scientific evidence supporting the use of
EsoGuard as a minimally invasive screening alternative to
endoscopy, and EsoGuard's incorporation in the practices of AFS
physicians. The letter strongly advocates for medical policy
coverage of EsoGuard consistent the most recent gastroenterology
society guidelines and legislation in many states mandating
coverage of biomarker tests like EsoGuard.
"We are confident that expanding access to the EsoGuard test
will empower providers with an essential triage for upper endoscopy
(EGD) that enables the early detection of BE," wrote Reginald Bell, M.D., FACS, the Chair of the AFS
Board, on behalf the society. "The goal of early BE detection is to
facilitate prompt treatment and surveillance, ultimately reducing
the risk of cancer progression. By being available as a
point-of-care test in primary care offices, EsoGuard directly
reduces health disparities in endoscopy access, aligning with the
mission of the American Foregut Society. We urge you to consider
the immediate coverage of the EsoGuard test."
"The AFS is the preeminent society of renowned physicians and
surgeons, focusing on esophageal cancer and other disease of the
foregut. We are grateful that the society has used its platform to
advocate on behalf of patients at risk for this highly lethal but
preventable cancer," said Lishan
Aklog, M.D., Lucid's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
"The AFS's vocal advocacy highlights the critical need for
accessible and effective screening tools, such as EsoGuard, to
detect esophageal precancer to prevent cancer. Its strong
endorsement of medical policy coverage of EsoGuard will enable more
patients to benefit from esophageal precancer testing. We are
committed to working with all payors to ensure that at-risk
patients have broad access to EsoGuard, a critical weapon in our
fight to prevent this cancer."
About Lucid Diagnostics
Lucid Diagnostics Inc. is a commercial-stage, cancer prevention
medical diagnostics company, and subsidiary of PAVmed Inc. (Nasdaq:
PAVM). Lucid is focused on the millions of patients with
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as chronic
heartburn, who are at risk of developing esophageal precancer and
cancer. Lucid's EsoGuard® Esophageal DNA Test, performed
on samples collected in a brief, noninvasive office procedure with
its EsoCheck® Esophageal Cell Collection Device,
represent the first and only commercially available tools designed
with the goal of preventing cancer and cancer deaths through
widespread, early detection of esophageal precancer in at-risk
patients.
For more information, please visit www.luciddx.com and for more
information about its parent company PAVmed, please visit
www.pavmed.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements that
involve risk and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are any
statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking
statements, which are based upon the current beliefs and
expectations of Lucid's management, are subject to risks and
uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the
forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause
such differences include, among other things, volatility in the
price of Lucid's common stock; general economic and market
conditions; the uncertainties inherent in research and development,
including the cost and time required to advance Lucid's products to
regulatory submission; whether regulatory authorities will be
satisfied with the design of and results from Lucid's clinical and
preclinical studies; whether and when Lucid's products are cleared
by regulatory authorities; market acceptance of Lucid's products
once cleared and commercialized; Lucid's ability to raise
additional funding as needed; and other competitive developments.
In addition, Lucid continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and
the pandemic's impact on Lucid's businesses. These factors are
difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are
beyond Lucid's control. In addition, new risks and uncertainties
may arise from time to time and are difficult to predict. For a
further list and description of these and other important risks and
uncertainties that may affect Lucid's future operations, see Part
I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," in Lucid's most recent Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the
same may be updated in Part II, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in any
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Lucid Diagnostics after its
most recent Annual Report. Lucid disclaims any intention or
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statement to reflect any change in its expectations or in events,
conditions, or circumstances on which those expectations may be
based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will
differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE Lucid Diagnostics