Summary: DiaCarta has secured a contract with the San Francisco VA Health Care System to provide VEXAS syndrome testing for veterans, utilizing its QClamp Plex test.
Takeaways:
- DiaCarta’s QClamp Plex VEXAS test, developed with XNA technology, will be available to veterans through the San Francisco VA Health Care System.
- VEXAS syndrome is a rare autoinflammatory disease often misdiagnosed due to its diverse symptoms, affecting multiple organs and systems.
- The contract aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy and reduce wait times for veterans, ensuring timely treatment and management of VEXAS syndrome.
DiaCarta, a molecular diagnostic company specializing in oncology and infectious disease tests, has entered into a diagnostic testing service contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs San Francisco VA Health Care System.
VEXAS syndrome Testing
Under this contract, DiaCarta will provide the VEXAS syndrome testing for Veterans within the VA healthcare system, starting Oct. 1, 2024. The QClamp Plex VEXAS test was developed at DiaCarta using its XNA technology and validated at its CAP/CLIA laboratory.
VEXAS Syndrome, discovered in 2020, is an autoinflammatory disease characterized by inflammation affecting various tissues and organs (joints, cartilage, skin, vessels, lungs, etc.), bone marrow failure (progressive anemia with large red cells, thrombocytopenia, etc.), and high risk for clotting (both venous and arterial). Due to its diverse presentations, patients with the disease may be seen by doctors in various clinical specialties (e.g., Hematology, Rheumatology, Dermatology, ENT, Pulmonology, Pathology). VEXAS is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as other conditions such as Relapsed Polychondritis (RP), Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), Sweet Syndrome, or Vasculitis, which exhibit similar symptoms and physical signs.
VEXAS Syndrome is distinguished by specific somatic gene mutations, which are not found in patients with other diseases. Identifying the unique mutations in a gene called UBA1 allows physicians to accurately diagnose VEXAS Syndrome and appropriately treat and manage those patients. Experts strongly recommend testing all patients with clinical manifestations suggesting VEXAS syndrome. The disease typically occurs in men older than 50 (prevalence is 1 in 4000), but the disease is also rarely seen in women.
“We are excited about the contract with SFVAHCS and the opportunity to serve our Veterans,” says Adam (Aiguo) Zhang, PhD, president and CEO of DiaCarta. “Our novel QClamp Plex technology overcomes key challenges in VEXAS syndrome testing, including sensitivity, turnaround time and cost. By reducing patient wait times and increasing diagnostic accuracy, we aim to alleviate the anxiety associated with uncertain diagnoses and support physicians in developing effective treatment strategies.”
Featured image: Vacuoles in the bone marrow myeloid precursors cells of a patient with VEXAS syndrome. Photo: Dreamstime
