The American Medical Association assigned a dedicated reimbursement code for a diagnostic test that detects metastatic cancer cells in spinal fluid.
The American Medical Association (AMA) approved a new Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tumor cell enumeration test.
The dedicated billing code, 0640U, becomes effective July 1, 2026. The code establishes a unique reimbursement identifier for the CNSide CSF Tumor Cell Enumeration test, developed by Plus Therapeutics. This designation is intended to support payer claims processing and facilitate broader clinical adoption as the company continues the US commercial launch of its central nervous system (CNS) metastases diagnostic platform.
“Securing a dedicated PLA code for CNSide is an important milestone supporting the commercial launch of our CNSide Diagnostics business,” says Marc H Hedrick, MD, Plus Therapeutics president and chief executive officer, in a release. “This coding milestone simplifies the reimbursement pathway for the CNSide CSF Tumor Cell Enumeration test and supports broader clinical adoption by oncologists and neurologists managing patients with leptomeningeal metastases.”
The diagnostic platform enables quantitative detection and molecular characterization of tumor cells in CSF. It provides diagnostic information for physicians managing patients with leptomeningeal metastases, a complication where cancer spreads to the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. These metastases are associated with significant morbidity and have historically had limited diagnostic tools, according to the company.
PLA codes are issued by the AMA to uniquely identify specific laboratory tests performed by a single laboratory or manufacturer. The standardized code allows healthcare providers to bill insurers specifically for the diagnostic test performed, which enables the tracking of test utilization across the healthcare system.
As awareness and payer coverage expand, the company believes the test has the potential to become a tool in the management of metastatic CNS cancers. The diagnostics business is currently scaling alongside the company’s therapeutic pipeline, focusing on building a sustainable commercial franchise for CNS metastases detection.
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