CareDx Celebrates the Long-Awaited Passage of the Immuno Bill
Partners with large transplant coalition to expand access to lifesaving medications for kidney transplant patients
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareDx, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNA), a leading precision medicine company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value healthcare solutions for transplant patients and caregivers, applauds Congress on today’s passage of the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2019 (Immuno Bill).
Immunosuppressive medication compliance is a critical component of the long-term success of any kidney transplant. This bipartisan legislation will extend Medicare’s Part B coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant recipients beyond the current three-year limit, allowing patients to more easily maintain access to their treatment and prevent graft failure, costly dialysis treatments, and retransplantation.
“Our fight to ensure the Immuno Bill was passed during this Congress is an extension of CareDx’s mission to improve the long term outcomes of patients,” said Peter Maag, Executive Chairman of CareDx. “This landmark victory is a testament to our close collaboration with the transplant ecosystem and the advocacy of dedicated patients and physicians around the country who made their voices heard along the way.”
In March 2019, driven by our dedication to serving patients and caregivers, CareDx launched the Honor the Gift Coalition – a national patient-centered campaign focused on rallying the kidney community for the passage of the Immuno Bill.
With 32 member organizations across the transplant space, including the National Kidney Foundation, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, and Donate Life America, the Honor the Gift Coalition successfully united and encouraged nearly 10,000 advocates from all 50 states to write their legislators and demand their support for this critical legislation.
“Immunosuppression medication coverage reforms are long overdue and I could not be more thankful to all those who helped make it possible,” said Mary Baliker, patient advocate and four-time kidney transplant recipient from Wisconsin. “I know what it’s like to wonder how you’re going to afford your anti-rejection medications at the end of the month—passing the Immuno Bill means that patients will get to breathe a little easier once the law is enacted.”
“Medicare’s limitation on immunosuppressive drug coverage was never able to be justified medically, economically or ethically, and I am thankful Congress has finally taken action on this much-needed reform,” said Marwan S. Abouljoud, MD, FACS, MMM, president of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. “The American Society of Transplant Surgeons is proud to stand with CareDx and the entire Honor the Gift Coalition as we celebrate the correction of this long-standing, short-sighted policy.”
To learn more about CareDx’s work to extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive medications for kidney transplant recipients, visit HonorTheGift.org.
About CareDx
CareDx, Inc., headquartered in South San Francisco, California, is a leading precision medicine solutions company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value healthcare solutions for transplant patients and caregivers. CareDx offers testing services, products and digital healthcare solutions along the pre- and post-transplant patient journey and is the leading provider of genomics-based information for transplant patients. For more information, please visit: .
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