Unlike traditional pharmacogenetics programs that just send a report, Blue Genes acts in real time inside the claims flow, protecting workers and holding down plan costs

ALBANY, NY AND PHOENIX, AZ – October 21, 2026 – Blue Genes Lab, a leading pharmacogenetics (PGx) provider with a groundbreaking approach to using genetic data to protect patients and reduce costs for payers at the moment it matters, today announced that it has been endorsed by the New York Labor Health Care Alliance (NYLHCA) for use by its 79 member unions representing 150,000 members and dependents.

"Our mission is twofold: safeguarding the health of the men and women who build and service New York and protecting the funds that support them," explained Stephen O’Sick, Executive Director of the NYLHCA. "Utilizing Blue Genes, we block unsafe or ineffective medications ranging from opioids to GLP-1s and behavioral health drugs, completely behind the scenes, requiring no changes from members or prescribers."

Unlike other pharmacogenetics programs, also known as pharmacogenomics, Blue Genes Lab works in the claims flow, checking drugs against a member’s genetic profile the moment a prescription is submitted. Within milliseconds, unsafe or ineffective drugs are identified, the member is notified and the claim is stopped. Blue Genes checks for drug-gene interactions for more than 500 medications, including 65 ultra-high-cost specialty drugs and GLP-1s.

Despite the long-established clinical benefits of pharmacogenetics, adoption across the industry remains limited. This is largely because traditional approaches are confusing and inconvenient for members and are outside the prescriber workflow. As a result, while other programs send a report that can get lost in a portal, mailbox and fax machine, Blue Genes acts the moment it matters — before the prescription is filled or the claim is paid.

Blue Genes has overcome these obstacles to adoption by making PGx both clinically rigorous and friction free. The member takes a one-time at-home mouth-swab for a lifetime of protection; there is nothing to remember, nothing new for the pharmacy, and nothing added to the physician's workflow. It is automatic and instant.

For maximum safety and savings, Blue Genes concentrates on high-cost, high-impact prescriptions where genetics can change the outcome. GLP-1s are a clear example: Blue Genes stops likely non-response before a plan pays and before a member spends months on a drug that will not work. Alternatives Blue Genes recommends are formulary-aware, so they never disrupt existing payer contracts.

“We are honored to receive this endorsement and earn the trust of labor organizations nationwide,” said Blue Genes Lab CEO Nick Glimcher. “The science behind pharmacogenetics is well established, and we are proud to be able to make PGx effective to protect union workers and the benefit funds they count on.”

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About Blue Genes Lab

Blue Genes Lab’s patent-pending technology integrates pharmacogenetics where the decision actually gets made — the moment a prescription is submitted. We check it against the patient's own biology and answer in about 300 milliseconds, before the drug is filled and before the claim is paid. This improves the

safety and efficacy of drugs and reduces healthcare costs, without disrupting the provider workflow. Visit BlueGenesLabs.com to learn more.