Early Access Program Support

The Rapid Therapy Guidance™ test uses proprietary technology to test live cancer cells ex vivo (outside your body) and measure how they respond to a pre-selected or customized panel of FDA-approved cancer drugs.

The test measures the effect each cancer drug has on the weight (or mass) of ex vivo live cancer cells. This mass response begins quickly when cancer cells are exposed to effective cancer drugs. Regardless of the mechanism of action, if a cancer drug does not affect the growth of cancer cells, it’s unlikely it will help the patient.

Our catalog of testable drugs is growing and it includes over 100 FDA-approved drugs for 90% of cancers. Each drug panel in the Early Access Program includes select drugs cited in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, regardless of disease stage. An Early Access drug panel may also include certain cytotoxics and inhibitors that have not been approved for this cancer but may benefit the patient.

Our test has been shown in preliminary studies to match the actual responses of 80% of treatments. While our evidence is small, it is growing.

During the Early Access program, the test is available throughout the United States only.

The Early Access Program is expected to last 24 months.

If you’ve been diagnosed with late-stage cancer or have exhausted other treatment options for your cancer, the Early Access program can help you prioritize which drug or drug combinations to include in your next line of treatment. It gives you almost immediate access to a prioritized list of cancer drugs with the potential to treat your unique cancer. The test will help you eliminate ineffective drugs from consideration, simplifying the decision-making process.

Most insurance companies cover FDA-approved drugs for the treatment they are approved for. Drug coverage for a specific drug will depend on your insurance carrier. Your oncologist’s office should be able to help you determine authorization for specific drug treatments.

Your oncologist may be able to get drugs for free from the manufacturer based on compassionate use. Sometimes, when patients need medical treatment and don’t have insurance coverage or the funds to cover the cost themselves, they turn to their communities for support. Some people turn to their employer or religious institution for financial aid. Others turn to family and friends, crowdfunding through websites like GoFundMe.

Your physician/oncologist can order the Early Access test through this website or by calling 781-872-0808. You will need a physician’s prescription for your cancer cell sample collection.

We have developed this website to give you the information you need to discuss the test with your physician/oncologist. You can share these FAQs with your provider as well as download background information from our Resources page.

Your oncologist will receive the results online or via fax/paper.

Travera will receive your sample within 24 hours of the sample collection. Two days after your sample collection, your oncologist will be notified that your test results are ready to review.

You can review sample pages of a Travera test results report and explanations for each page here.

Based on the results, you should have actionable insights to help you decide your next line of treatment that you can discuss with your oncologist.

Travera offers both email and phone support services to address any questions you may have about the process, the results, or the use of the report information.

Our test overcomes previous biological and clinical barriers to personalized cancer therapy. Past efforts have focused on measuring cell death, and have not achieved sustainable clinical success. Our technology measures the mass response (weight change) of a patient’s live tumor cells to cancer drugs or drug combinations before the onset of cell death.

Our test requires only 5,000 cells per drug tested and is conducted in the first 48 hours after the sample is collected and before the cells start dying, skewing the relative mix of different subclonal populations of cancer cells.

Previous generations of tests, known as chemosensitivity assays, have measured cell death. There are two limitations to measuring cell death:

1. The wrong cells get measured. When cells are caused to proliferate (divide mother to daughter many times) they are not accurately copied. Both their genomes (genetic information) and phenomes (behaviors) change in unpredictable ways. Therefore, the response of the daughter cells to cancer drugs ex vivo may not match the response of the original tumor cells when the same drugs are administered in vivo.

2. Cancer cells that are kept alive artificially behave differently. The artificial environment that keeps them alive alters the way the cells respond to a cancer drug. Additionally, many cells will die naturally throughout the duration of the assay. If the cells are heterogeneous (multiple different cancers in the same sample), the different cancers may die at different rates and only the most robust portion of the sample will be tested, providing incomplete or ineffective results.

We provide two cost options to fit your needs and budget. The first test includes a predetermined panel of up to 20 FDA-approved cancer drugs and costs $500. This option requires you to share the treatment outcome data to help Travera build additional clinical evidence. The second enables you to create a custom panel of up to 20 FDA-approved cancer drugs and costs $1,000 USD per drug tested. You may also request custom drugs to be included in the predetermined panel for a fee.

No, all expenses are out-of-pocket during this early stage of our development.

You will be billed for the test after your physician has ordered the test from Travera. You can pay by credit or debit card or an e-check.

Yes, you should be able to use funds from your HSA/FSA to cover the test cost.

The carcinoma test we are currently offering requires a malignant fluid sample (such as an ascites or pleural effusion) or tissue biopsies (FNAs, core needle biopsies, and surgical resections).

Travera will ship a sample collection kit to the person or lab indicated by you or your physician. The instructions inside the kit describe how to collect the sample and return it to Travera.

You determine who you want to handle the sample collection process. It may be you, the lab, or a proxy you designate, such as a family member or caregiver.

Yes. It can be mailed directly to you or to the lab where your sample will be collected.

Once collected, your sample must be immediately placed in the provided temperature-controlled shipping kit and delivered to FedEx according to the provided instructions.

You can cancel the order any time before your sample is shipped to Travera.