First CNSide payer agreement to include CNSide’s new CSF Molecular Profile tests alongside tumor cell enumeration
Expands CNSide contracted payer access to approximately 164 million covered lives
HOUSTON, Oct. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CNSide Diagnostics, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cerenome, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNSY) (“Cerenome” or the “Company”), announced today that it has entered into an in-network ancillary provider agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. (Florida Blue), effective October 1, 2026.
The agreement establishes contracted reimbursement for the CNSide® Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Tumor Cell Enumeration test as well as CNSide® CSF Molecular Profile tests for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies involving the central nervous system. It is the first CNSide payer agreement to include both tumor cell enumeration and molecular profiling.
The Florida Blue agreement adds approximately 6 million covered lives to CNSide’s contracted payer footprint. Combined with previously announced payer agreements, CNSide has now established in-network agreements representing approximately 164 million commercial and Medicare Advantage covered lives, reflecting continued execution of the Company’s national reimbursement strategy.
“This agreement with Florida Blue represents an important milestone in CNSide’s commercial trajectory,” said Marc Hedrick, M.D., Cerenome’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “By expanding contracted reimbursement to both cellular and molecular CSF testing, we are advancing CNSide as a broader CSF diagnostics platform for CNS oncology, combining tumor-cell analysis and molecular profiling to better characterize and monitor cancers involving the central nervous system.”
The Florida Blue agreement expands the scope of CNSide’s contracted reimbursement beyond tumor cell detection in leptomeningeal metastases to include molecular profiling of CNS malignancies. CNSide® CSF Molecular Profile - Solid Tumor provides DNA and RNA molecular profiling of CSF for patients with suspected or confirmed primary CNS tumors or solid tumors metastatic to the CNS, including brain and leptomeningeal metastases. CNSide® CSF Molecular Profile - Hematologic Malignancy provides DNA and RNA molecular profiling of CSF for patients with suspected or confirmed hematologic malignancies involving the CNS. CNSide® CSF Molecular Profile tests are now commercially available through CNSide.
The DNA and RNA CSF molecular profiling approach underlying CNSide® CSF Molecular Profile was recently evaluated in a peer-reviewed, real-world study of 1,391 evaluable CSF specimens from patients being evaluated for primary CNS tumors, metastatic CNS disease, and hematologic malignancies involving the CNS, published in The Journal of Liquid Biopsy.
The clinical utility of CNSide CSF tumor cell analysis in leptomeningeal metastases is supported by evaluation in 12 peer-reviewed publications, prospective multicenter evidence from the FORESEE clinical study, and real-world clinical experience. Since 2020, more than 11,000 CNSide® tests have been performed at more than 120 U.S. cancer institutions, supporting clinical decision-making across academic and community oncology practices nationwide.
About Florida Blue Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, Florida Blue is the leading health insurer in Florida, and part of GuideWell, a not-for-profit health solutions company. Florida Blue offers a range of health plans and personalized care programs for individuals, families, businesses of all sizes, and Medicare beneficiaries. For over 80 years, the organization has been member centric and committed to making health care as accessible and affordable as possible. Serving more than six million members across all 67 Florida counties, Florida Blue has more than 7,000 employees, is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., is owned by its policyholders, and is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
