Myriad Genetics, Inc., a personalized medicine subsidiary of Crescendo Bioscience, has launched a new web portal called myVectra for people with rheumatoid
arthritis (RA). myVectra users can easily access their Vectra DA test results and test histories, to better prepare for visits to the rheumatologist and understand their disease.
Vectra DA testing is performed at the Crescendo Bioscience state-of-the-art CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) facility. Test results are reported to the referring physician within a week or so of the blood specimen being sent to Crescendo.
Users can view their results online for seven days after being notified to visit their rheumatologist (about 14 days after having blood drawn for the Vectra DA test). The Vectra DA portal can be accessed at my.vectrada.com.
Myriad says the Vectra DA blood test provides a more comprehensive assessment of disease activity by measuring 12 markers of RA disease activity in the blood, called biomarkers, that are linked to RA inflammation. Certain other tests, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR or “sed rate”) only measure one marker.
Levels of the 12 biomarkers are combined into a single score, between 1 and 100, that classifies the current level of disease activity as low, moderate, and high. Ergo: the lower the score, the better.
The San Francisco, California-based, company notes that patients with high Vectra DA scores tend to be at greater risk for rheumatoid arthritis-related joint damage than those with low or moderate scores, and claims that Vectra DA scores better identify patients at high risk than CRP or ESR results.
Vectra DA is currently the only multi-biomarker blood test for measuring disease activity in RA patients, the company says, and the ability to track Vectra DA scores enables these patients to be better prepared to discuss their disease and its management with a rheumatologist, and to be better informed about their health status and changes over time.
myVectra, when used in conjunction with the MyRA mobile application, gives patients convenient access to, and visual snapshots of, their health information on an Apple iPhone, iPad, or an Android smartphone.
The boilerplate “How are you doing?” is not always an easy question to answer for people managing a disease like RA, whose symptoms can change from month-to-month or even day-to-day. The MyRA app can generate a visual summary report of tracked data so 
a patient and doctor can monitor how the person is doing, and how much things have changed since a previous visit.
For more information about MyRA, visit
www.trackmyra.com
The free MyRA app is available at: Apple App Store
itunes.apple.com/us/app/myra/id563338979?mt=8
or Google Play
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crescendo.biosciences.myrapp
“We are committed to improving the lives of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. When patients access their Vectra DA test results through myVectra, they will gain a better understanding of their disease activity and become active participants in their care,” said Bernie Tobin, Crescendo Bioscience president, in a release. “This information improves patient engagement, empowerment and communications with their rheumatologist.”
Nearly two million Americans are living with RA, an autoimmune disorder that affects two to three times more women than men. Joints — especially smaller ones in the hands and feet — are primarily affected by RA, but the disease can impact many other parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. When the lining of the joints, called the synovial membrane, becomes inflamed, the result can be pain, swelling, and redness, and cartilage and bone can wear away, increasing pain levels and leading to disability.
In some cases, loss of joint or bone develops gradually over several years, while in others the deterioration proceeds rapidly. Because RA affects people in different ways, testing helps evaluate and predict the rate of disease progression.
For more information on Vectra DA resting, visit www.Vectra-DA.com.
Sources:
Crescendo Bioscience
Myriad Genetics, Inc.
