NTRA - Natera adds 18% as Medicare expands coverage for cancer test
- Natera ( NASDAQ: NTRA ) shares surged ~18% to reach a five-month high on Thursday after the diagnostics company announced its Signatera cancer test had met Medicare coverage criteria for breast cancer screening.
- The decision by the Molecular Diagnostics Services Program (MolDX) of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expands the coverage for Signatera molecular residual disease (MRD) test in the adjuvant and recurrence monitoring.
- The coverage is applicable for stage IIb or higher breast cancer irrespective of the subtype, including hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-positive, and triple-negative breast cancers.
- Previously, Medicare covered Signatera for colorectal cancer, muscle-invasive bladder cancer, and pan-cancer immunotherapy monitoring.
- The latest coverage decision was mainly based on peer-reviewed data supporting the early relapse detection of Signatera across all breast cancer subtypes as many as two years ahead of radiographic imaging.
- In December, Seeking Alpha contributor Bashar Issa reaffirmed his Hold rating on Natera ( NTRA ), arguing that the company is “in a worse condition compared to peers with clearer profitability paths.”
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Natera adds 18% as Medicare expands coverage for cancer test