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A policy approach to the development of molecular diagnostic tests

Efficiently generating evidence of clinical utility is a major challenge for ensuring clinical adoption of valuable diagnostics. A new approach to reimbursement in the United States offers a balance between evidence and incentives for molecular diagnostic tests.

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Correspondence to Kevin A Schulman.

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Competing interests

K.A.S. received research support from Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, Amgen, Astellas Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, The Duke Endowment, Genentech, Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Kureha Corporation, LifeMasters Supported SelfCare, Medtronic, Merck & Co., Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, National Patient Advocate Foundation, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NovaCardia, Novartis, OSI Eyetech, Pfizer, Sanofi-aventis, Scios, Tengion, Theravance, Thomson Healthcare and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; personal income for consulting from McKinsey & Company and the National Pharmaceutical Council; had equity in Alnylam Pharmaceuticals; had equity in and served on the board of directors of Cancer Consultants, Inc; and had equity in and serving on the executive board of Faculty Connection. K.A.S. has made available online a detailed listing of financial disclosures (http://www.dcri.duke.edu/research/coi.jsp). S.R.T. is an employee of the Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMPT), a nonprofit policy and research center that works on issues of comparative effectiveness research and coverage with evidence development. CMPT receives funding from a range of health plans, life sciences companies, foundations and government grants.

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Schulman, K., Tunis, S. A policy approach to the development of molecular diagnostic tests. Nat Biotechnol 28, 1157–1159 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1110-1157

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