Key Highlights

• Cerenome secured a national in-network laboratory agreement with Aetna, effective November 1, 2026, for its CNSide CSF diagnostic tests.

• The agreement adds approximately 26 million Aetna medical members, bringing total contracted coverage to approximately 190 million lives.

• This is the first national CNSide payer agreement to include both tumor cell enumeration and molecular profiling tests.

• Cerenome is now contracted with approximately 85% of private payers in the United States.

Cerenome, Inc.(NASDAQ:CNSY), a CNS oncology company, announced on November 4, 2026, that its wholly-owned Subsidiary CNSide Diagnostics has entered into a national in-network laboratory ancillary provider agreement with Aetna Health Plans. The agreement, effective November 1, 2026, establishes contracted reimbursement for CNSide's cerebrospinal fluid diagnostic tests and marks a notable expansion of the company's payer coverage across the United States.

Scope of the Aetna Agreement

The agreement covers the CNSide CSF Tumor Cell Enumeration test as well as CNSide CSF Molecular Profile tests for both solid tumors and hematologic malignancies involving the central nervous system. It represents the first national CNSide payer agreement to include both tumor cell enumeration and molecular profiling, broadening the reimbursement pathway beyond the cellular analysis tests that had been the focus of earlier payer contracts.

The Molecular Profile tests provide DNA and RNA molecular profiling of cerebrospinal fluid for patients with suspected or confirmed primary CNS tumors, solid tumors metastatic to the CNS, and hematologic malignancies involving the CNS. The underlying approach was recently evaluated in a peer-reviewed study of 1,391 evaluable CSF specimens published in The Journal of Liquid Biopsy.

Expanding the Payer Footprint

With the addition of approximately 26 million Aetna medical members, CNSide's contracted payer footprint now represents approximately 190 million covered lives in the United States. Cerenome states that it is now contracted with approximately 85% of private payers in the US, reflecting continued execution of the company's national reimbursement strategy. CEO Marc Hedrick indicated that the company intends to pursue similar arrangements across its entire payer base to include both tumor cell enumeration and molecular profiling coverage.

The clinical Utility of CNSide's CSF tumor cell analysis in leptomeningeal metastases is supported by evaluation in 12 peer-reviewed publications and prospective multicenter evidence from the FORESEE clinical study. Since 2020, more than 11,000 CNSide tests have been performed at more than 120 US cancer institutions.

Cerenome's Broader Platform

Beyond diagnostics, Cerenome is developing an integrated CNS oncology platform that combines precision diagnostics, targeted therapeutics, and artificial intelligence. The company's lead therapeutic platform, REYOBIQ (rhenium Re186 obisbemeda), is currently being evaluated in Clinical Trials for leptomeningeal metastases, recurrent glioblastoma, and pediatric brain cancers.

The company's data and AI platform is designed to integrate diagnostic, molecular, imaging, and clinical data into actionable insights to support precision oncology. Cerenome's strategy centers on integrating commercial diagnostics, targeted therapeutics, proprietary longitudinal data, and artificial intelligence within a single organization.

What This Signals

The Aetna agreement represents a commercial milestone for Cerenome as it continues to expand reimbursement access for its CNSide diagnostic platform. Reaching approximately 85% private payer coverage and 190 million covered lives provides a broader commercial foundation for the company's CSF-based diagnostic tests. The inclusion of molecular profiling in the Aetna contract could set a precedent for similar terms across remaining payer relationships, potentially expanding the Revenue opportunity beyond tumor cell enumeration alone.