Plus Therapeutics’ CNSide assay may reduce healthcare costs

Plus Therapeutics (PSTV) announced the presentation of a new health economics study evaluating the economic impact of earlier detection and therapeutic management of leptomeningeal metastases or LM using the CNSide cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, assay. The cost-of-care analysis suggests that earlier LM diagnosis and therapeutic management enabled by CNSide may reduce overall LM-related healthcare costs by approximately 40%, primarily through earlier therapeutic intervention, improved treatment precision, and reduced hospitalizations. The data will be presented at the ISPOR 2026 Annual Meeting, the leading global scientific conference focused on health economics and outcomes research, bringing together researchers, healthcare decision-makers, and payer stakeholders. The meeting will take place May 17-20, 2026, in Philadelphia, PA. Late-stage LM diagnosis is associated with substantial healthcare costs, including median inpatient admissions of ~$20K; total LM-related costs may exceed $100K per month, driven by repeated imaging, LM-directed therapies, and palliative care; earlier detection and treatment optimization enabled by CNSide may reduce overall LM-related healthcare costs by ~40%; potential savings are driven by earlier therapeutic intervention, improved treatment precision, reduced adverse events and hospitalizations, and gains in quality-adjusted life years.