The science behind the FM/a® Test

The FM/a® Test is an immunological test system (NCBI/NLM/NIH) that has been peer-reviewed and published in leading medical journals and accepted for reimbursement by multiple health insurance plans, including Medicare.

  • The development of the FM/a® fibromyalgia blood test was based on a clinical scientific study at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. The research team was led by Professor Frederick Behm, Department Head of the Department of Pathology. Their peer-reviewed, published manuscript is available in full at BMC Clinical Pathology.
  • The prestigious American Association for Clinical Chemistry bestowed its “Outstanding Research in Clinical Immunology” award to Professor Behm’s team for its scientific discovery.
  • Subsequently, Professor Daniel Wallace of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, a world-renowned rheumatologist and expert in fibromyalgia with multiple textbook publications, led a research team in a nearly 500-patient study of immune system biomarkers in reference to fibromyalgia. Those results were presented by Professor Wallace at the 2013 annual conference of the American College of Rheumatology and were published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, which is available at Rheumatology International.
  • The findings of Professor Wallace’s group re-confirmed in a second and separate laboratory the original discovery from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. They demonstrated that the fibromyalgia biomarkers that make up the FM/a® Test do not normally occur in other rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  • The FM/a® Test is the first and currently the only blood test to definitively identify fibromyalgia, with sensitivity approaching 99%. The test is performed by EpicGenetics, Inc., a privately held biomedical company led by Bruce Gillis, M.D., M.P.H., based in Los Angeles, California.

Read our peer-reviewed medical articles.

Opportunities Ahead

The FM/a® fibromyalgia blood test and EpicGenetics, Inc. are leading the way to better understanding and treatment of fibromyalgia. Ongoing research partners and studies include:

Mayo Clinic

  • Diagnostic time and cost: Documenting the ability of the FM/a® Test to expedite the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and to do so in a cost-effective manner. The Mayo clinic study is wrapping up now and is expected to be completed by late summer 2021.

University of Illinois College of Medicine

  • Genomics Study: To determine if there are DNA-related pathways which explain why a person develops fibromyalgia. We expect this
    study to be submitted for review and publication later in 2021.
  • COVID-19 Study: To determine if fibromyalgia patients may be less or more susceptible to the effects of a COVID-19 infection. This study has been completed. You can read it here.

Johns Hopkins University

  • Chronic Pain Study: To determine whether patients with chronic pain are afflicted with fibromyalgia as the source of that pain. This study has recently been expanded to include patients with additional symptoms. Check back soon for more details.

Stanford University and Urology of Virginia, an affiliate of the University of Virginia

  • Interstitial Cystitis Study: To determine if there is a relationship between this bladder disease and fibromyalgia.

Epic Genetics

  • Symptom Relief Study: To determine if a new treatment can reduce or eliminate the symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Trials are scheduled to begin 2022.