New Diagnostic Modeling Targets $3 Billion in Lyme Disease Savings

The research, conducted by Aces Diagnostics in collaboration with Boston Strategic Partners, highlights the limitations of current two-tier serologic testing. Standard methods often fail to detect early-stage infection, leading to a cascade of misdiagnoses that currently affect roughly 72% of patients. By shifting to the company’s LymeSeek pathway, the simulation indicates that false-negative results could drop by nearly 80%, allowing for intervention while the disease remains in its localized, more affordable stage.

Economic figures from the model reveal that treating localized Lyme disease costs approximately $1,377 per patient, compared to over $7,400 for disseminated cases. By more than doubling the rate of early-stage diagnosis—from 116,347 to 238,583 cases—the transition to more sensitive testing could lower the average cost per positive patient by 55.8%. Holly Ahern, Chief Scientific Officer at Aces Diagnostics, is scheduled to present these findings at the Association of Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) 2026 Annual Meeting on July 27.