VIP Dx official XMRV test details

[JerryH]

Received from VIP Dx labs via email today:

It is with great pleasure that Viral Immune Pathology Diagnostics (VIP Dx) announces the introduction of its family of diagnostic tests for the Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-like Virus for XMRV associated neurological disease (XAND).

Test acceptance will commence on October 23rd, 2009. Please contact our Client Relations staff to arrange the shipment of test kits and acceptance of samples. Each XAND specimen must have an XAND acceptance code on the test requisition. The XAND acceptance code is assigned by our staff and will arrive on the test requisition in your specimen kit. Specimens sent without the appropriate acceptance code may result in the delay or inability to perform the diagnostic test. The diagnostic tests available for XAND* are as follows:

XAND by PCR for XMRV active infection: Test Code XAND ($400)

XAND1 by virus culture for XMRV latent infection: Test Code XND1 ($500)

XAND2 by PCR for XMRV active infection and virus culture for latent infection: Test Code XND2 ($650)

Coming Soon!

XAND with Western Blot (reflexive) as confirmation of XMRV active infection

XAND by serology: Serological assay for XMRV IgG antibodies will be available shortly. Samples requiring serological testing may be banked for future testing if requested.

We are accepting XAND tests on Tuesdays and Fridays only due to the incubation period required for proper analysis. Therefore, you must have your blood drawn on Monday or Thursday and ship immediately back to us by priority overnight FedEx for receipt by us on Tuesday or Friday.

For XAND testing you must use the coded test requisition provided with your kit. Refer to the updated specimen guidelines in the right column of the test requisition for proper blood draw.

No special preparation is required for specimens; ship specimens at ambient (room) temperature. Specimens must be received within 24 hours for proper analysis. Collection and shipping instructions are included in each kit along with all required specimen tubes. The return clinical envelope and overnight airbill are also included.

VIP Dx is a fee-for-service specialty clinical laboratory. Fees are due at the time of service. VIP Dx will continue to provide patients with a complete statement with all ICD and CPT codes so that they can seek reimbursement from their own insurance company.

VIP Dx will bill Medicare as long as the patient provides a valid copy of their Medicare card and any supplemental insurance and the patient signs the ABN (Advanced Beneficiary Notice) located on the reverse side of the test requisition. Medicare patients will be responsible for any fees not covered by Medicare and supplemental insurance.

VIP Dx is committed to providing quality clinically relevant tests, accurate, timely results and excellent customer service to aide the physician in the diagnosing and managing chronic viral and immune mediated diseases.

We are very excited about our latest technology and new XAND test menu. To order you test kit and check on test availability, please call Client Relations. Our Client Relations desk is open from 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Monday Friday PST. You can also e-mail your request to info@vipdx.com

You are invited to visit us at our website at www.vipdx.com.

On behalf of the VIP Dx team, we thank you for your continued support.

Marguerite Ross, Director
Marketing & Client Relations
VIP Dx / RedLabs
5625 Fox Ave - Rm 369
Reno, NV 89506

 

[MEKoan]

Dr Coffin is really alarmed that there are labs offering tests now. He says: don't do it.

peace out,
koan

ETA Cort has more info re this.

 

[greybeh]

Insurance?

I wonder how long of a process it is for insurance companies to decide to cover these new tests?

I can see that being the more significant delay. Perhaps early lobbying would be recommended? I don't know how this process works. Can anyone help me understand?

 

[Alice Band]

Hi Koan,

He was referring to the skin prick test only, wasn't he?

 

[MEKoan]

Hi Alice,

He did mention that specifically but there was conversation about when would accurate testing be available and the difficulty and challenges...

It didn't sound like it was available now. I could be that that these labs are offering this in isolation and that no-one knows anything about them but the message I got was that the people involved in the research, and those in the room, were unaware of any reliable testing at the present time.

Maybe it will come up again, tomorrow.

ETA Cort has more info re this.

 

[JerryH]

Question on test validity

It's very wise to question the validity of any tests being offered at this time. I was watching the testimony today, and the reference was clearly to the Cooperative Diagnostic lab offering the "proprietary" (i.e. no one knows if it works) PCR test for $399.

It might be a very fine test. There's no evidence for it, though.

VIP Dx appears to be more legitimate. After all, the Operations Director of VIP Dx is Dr. Vincent Lombardi, whose name might ring a bell or two.

They say "VIP Dx has licensed the same technology used in the research of the XMRV virus to develop their XAND (XMRV associated neurological disease) testing."

While no information regarding sensitivity or selectivity of these tests has been published, it seems to me the VIP Dx tests are probably pretty good, and for some people may be worthwhile. I'd also expect that standardized, FDA-approved lab testing will be developed within a few months to a year and be widely available at a more reasonable cost (and also more likely to be paid for by insurance/Medicare).

 

[MEKoan]

Hey JerryH

Yeah, they did talk about the finger prick test with alarm. But, wasn't there a conversation later in the day about testing?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure there was. They talked about the challenges of testing for retro-viruses and how a pos. HIV test must be repeated to be trusted. What if it's the same with XMRV?

Nancy Klimas talked with some anxiety about people being treated with the wrong agents during this discussion. She and Doc Coffin seemed to think this was a real concern.

I'm just wondering if someone in the field, other than the person offering the test, should confirm that it's a good test.

I'm waiting so it's purely academic to me.

ETA You know, Jerry, since Vincent Lombardi is associated with both WPI and VIP, it should be really easy to get a WPI seal of approval before testing. Maybe there is already something on their website.

 

[MEKoan]

Cort just posted on another thread:

I talked to Dr. Peterson (cut) VIPdx is the lab they're using. Its available now.

 

[Advocate]

Dr Coffin is really alarmed that there are labs offering tests now. He says: don't do it.
.

I thought he was referring to the lab in South Carolina, not to VIP. I hope he wasn't referring to VIP.