Thursday, September 08, 2022
Acupath Labs and UroGPO have announced a partnership to make URO17® accessible to UroGPO members across the country. URO17® is a non-invasive urine-based biomarker used for the diagnosis and management of bladder cancer, which is the sixth most common form of cancer in the United States. Acupath, the first lab worldwide to offer URO17®, has performed over 20,000 tests since July 2019 when it became available as a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) in the US. Through this partnership, UroGPO will provide discounted reagents and information on the URO17® test to its members.
Bladder cancer affects over 85,000 new cases annually, and many patients undergo unnecessary and invasive procedures due to symptoms such as blood in the urine (hematuria). With its high sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV), URO17® can offer valuable insights, allowing clinicians to better stratify patients based on their risk and identify those who require additional invasive follow-up treatments from those who do not. Moreover, urology practices with Physician Office Labs (POLs) or commercial/hospital pathology labs can benefit from URO17® as it presents an opportunity to generate a significant new revenue stream while providing clinically relevant information.
John Cucci, Chief Sales Officer of Acupath Laboratories, Inc., expressed enthusiasm about making URO17® available nationwide through the UroGPO network, emphasizing its seamless integration into practices' workflow and in-office pathology labs with minimal additional investment. Palmer DePetro, Sr. Director, Contracting at Specialty Networks, highlighted UroGPO's commitment to enhancing patient outcomes and praised the value brought by Acupath's consultation and optimization expertise in implementing URO17® as part of their bladder cancer care solutions.
