Take Control of Your Health Using Precision Medicine
Advanced genetic testing for the diagnosis,
monitoring & tailored treatment of
complex pancreatic diseases
A New Approach to Complex Disease Care
At Ariel, we believe every patient is unique and their care should be too.
That’s why we launched ADVANCE®, a new precision medicine platform that is transforming genetic and clinical data into new insights for the diagnosis and management complex health conditions.
About Pancreatitis
Are you experiencing symptoms of pancreatitis?
Here is what you need to know about the pancreas and pancreatic disease.
The Pancreas and Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis occurs when these enzymes become activated before leaving the pancreas, essentially beginning to digest the organ and causing inflammation, which leads to severe pain and other disabling problems.
Forms of Pancreatitis
Acute Pancreatitis (AP) is the initial form of the disease and it typically occurs suddenly and presents with severe abdominal pain. Symptoms normally require emergency medical treatment. The majority of patients will make a full recovery within a few days, but some patients develop further complications that may possibly lead to death if medical intervention is delayed.
Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis (RAP) occurs when patients develop two or more of acute pancreatitis. Research has revealed up to 20% of acute pancreatitis becomes recurrent acute pancreatitis. During this time, it is recommended that patients get genetic testing done to help determine the underlying causes of their disease. By uncovering the underlying causes early on, care providers can help mitigate the progression of the disease and provide prompt medical intervention that may improve the patient’s disease trajectory.
Symptoms and Cause
Pancreatitis has several different causes. These can include your genetics, gallstones, high levels of fat in the blood and things you are exposed to from the environment, including medications, alcohol and smoking. Each different underlying cause may warrant a unique treatment.
Detection and Treatment
Diseases and related conditions of the pancreas can be hard to detect, and they have many possible risk factors and potential causes. Because of this, traditional tests can be imprecise, making it difficult to quickly make an accurate diagnosis.
Fortunately, advances in the understanding of pancreatic disease combined with new methods of genetic testing allow for earlier detection, diagnosis, and management plan of pancreatitis. This information helps your doctor develop a more effective course of treatment and may minimize the time spent bouncing between specialists and performing diagnostic testing.
Advanced Genetic Testing
For Pancreatitis
PancreasDx® integrates your genetic data with your medical history and current symptoms to provide a comprehensive view of the factors that may be contributing to current conditions. Our reporting provides genetic and biological markers along with evidence-based guidelines that are individualized to each patient.
Who Should Get Tested? PancreasDx may be appropriate for anyone who has had more than one attack of acute pancreatitis.
Which Genes Are Tested? PRSS1-2, SPINK1, CFTR, CPA1, CASR, CEL, CLDN2, CTRC, GGT1, PRSS3, SBDS, SLC26A9 and UBR1
For Abnormal Lipid Metablism
ArielDx® Lipids is a next-generation sequencing panel for genes associated with abnormal lipid metabolism.
Abnormal lipid metabolism can increase an individual’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and pancreatitis. It is an established cause of pancreatitis, accounting for up to 10% of acute pancreatitis cases [1]. Variants in several genes can cause hereditary disorders of lipid metabolism or increase an individual’s risk for elevated triglycerides, a type of fat (lipid), in the blood. Genetic testing may be helpful in determining the underlying cause of a patient’s disease and provide clinical guidance for targeted treatment.
Who Should Get Tested? ArielDx Lipids may be appropriate for individuals with a personal or familial history of hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis. It is available as an add-on to PancreasDx during the ordering process.
Which Genes Are Tested? APOA5, APOC2, FABP4, LPL, PPARG, and a region of interest in APOB exon 29.
For Pharmacogenomics
ArielDx® PGx is a clinical genetic test and interpretation service that can help your healthcare provider identify how you are likely to respond to a medication or a specific medication dose. It can also help you and your healthcare provider avoid adverse drug events that are associated with specific gene variants.
Who Should Get Tested? ArielDx PGx may be appropriate before a new medication is prescribed, if you have a history of poor drug response or adverse drug reactions, or if you are prescribed multiple medications. It is available as an add-on to PancreasDx during the ordering process. Click here for more information about ArielDx PGx.
Which Genes Are Tested? CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, CYP345, CYP4F2, SLCO1B1, TPMT, UGT1A1, and VKORC1.
How It Works
1
Talk To Your Provider
Talk to your care provider to see if genetic testing may be helpful for your care. If appropriate, they can place an order using our secure online portal or by fax.
2
Register For Testing
After the order has been placed, you will receive an email invitation to complete registration for testing.
3
Collect DNA
A saliva DNA collection kit will be shipped to your home. We will get in touch with you to review your insurance coverage and any potential out-of-pocket costs.
4
Receive Results
Once you send us your sample, we will conduct your genetic analysis. The results will be released to your care provider first, so they can go over the results with you, and then released to you.
Get Our Pancreatitis Patient Guide
PancreasDx is ordered by your doctor. Our guide will help you have a more informed discussion with your care team about whether genetic testing is the right fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anyone who has had an attack of acute pancreatitis, especially if they have had more than one attack. In addition, anyone who has signs or symptoms of pancreatic disease such as abdominal pain after eating, chronic diarrhea, abnormal findings on a CT or MRI scan, or an abnormal laboratory test linked to the pancreas. An early evaluation may possibly prevent lengthy and costly evaluations, delayed diagnosis and more complications.
For ArielDx Lipids ArielDx Lipids may be appropriate for individuals with a personal or familial history of hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis. It is available as an add-on to PancreasDx during the ordering process. For ArielDx PGx ArielDx PGx may be appropriate before a new medication is prescribed, if you have a history of poor drug response or adverse drug reactions, or if you are prescribed multiple medications. It is available as an add-on to PancreasDx during the ordering process.ArielDx® Lipids analyzes genes associated with abnormal lipid metabolism, including APOA5, APOC2, FABP4, LPL, PPARG, and a region of interest in APOB exon 29.
ArielDx® PGx analyzes data from 11 genes related to drug metabolism (pharmacokinetics) and action (pharmacodynamics), including CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, CYP345, CYP4F2, SLCO1B1, TPMT, UGT1A1, and VKORC1.
Ariel accepts all insurance plans. As a new provider, we are not considered an in-network provider with all insurance plans. While the organization continues to grow, Ariel will work towards establishing in-network status.
The Ariel team follows the process below:
1. When your physician orders PancreasDx®, you will receive a ‘Welcome’ email with a link to Ariel’s secure patient portal to register. During registration, you will be asked to provide your insurance information.
2. The Ariel team will contact your insurance provider to verify eligibility and benefits to assess potential out-of-pocket costs. It is important to note that initial determinations from your insurance are subject to change, based on your clinical record and the discretion of the insurer.
3. Ariel’s billing team will contact you by phone to discuss benefits findings and any potential financial responsibility (i.e. co-pay, co-insurance, deductible). Ariel works with your insurance directly through the claims and appeals process. Our team will exhaust all efforts to obtain payment from your insurance plan to reduce or eliminate your financial responsibility for the service.
For add-on panels, Ariel offers a direct patient-pay price of $100 (per test) * to make testing more accessible for patients. Patients can choose to go through their insurance. However, the patient should be made aware that most insurance plans do not cover add-on tests, like ArielDx PGx, and may result in out-of-pocket costs up to $1000. Patients will be prompted to select their payment method during the registration process.
Please note: Add-on testing cannot be completed until payment has been resolved.
*The patient-pay price cannot be offered after a claim has been submitted to the insurance.
Checks should be made payable to: Ariel Precision Medicine
Mailing Address:
Ariel Precision Medicine
5750 Centre Ave, Suite 270
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Depending on your insurance plan, there may be situations where Ariel is considered an out-of-network provider and the payment for our test will be sent to you directly. You are legally responsible for re-issuing that payment with a copy of the Explanation of Benefits, to Ariel for processing.
The direct-pay option for ArielDx PGx and ArielDx Lipids does not allow Ariel to submit claims to insurance providers or apply patient assistance programs-this is how we are able to keep the patient-pay price so low.
In the patient portal, you will be asked to complete your account registration, consent to testing, and standard billing processes with your insurance. Once this is complete, you have the opportunity to answer some questions about your symptoms, your health history and whether anyone else in your family has similar symptoms.
If you have previously received PancreasDx testing, the turnaround time for add-on panel results is 2-3 weeks from the time Ariel receives the additional order.
