Letter to House Appropriations Committee Leaders Calls for $25 Million in Public Matching Funds to Support KidneyX to Boost Investment in Kidney Disease Research and Innovation

WASHINGTON, DC – Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – the nation’s leading kidney care multi-stakeholder coalition, representing patient advocates, physician organizations, health professional groups, dialysis providers, researchers and manufacturers – today commended the 58 representatives from both parties who signed a letter this week urging their colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee to support KidneyX, a public-private partnership to accelerate innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney disease.

The letter, which was led by Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN), calls for $25 million in public matching funds to support this partnership in the Fiscal Year 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The fund would match a $25 million commitment made by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), a KCP member and national physician society whose mission is to fight, prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation, communicating new knowledge, and advocating for the highest quality care for patients.

“KCP applauds lawmakers for standing up to support innovative approaches to kidney disease management,” said Dr. Allen Nissenson, chair of KCP. “Americans living with kidney disease deserve the best care there is – fully funding KidneyX is an important step towards addressing existing barriers to innovation in kidney care to ensure patients have access to the latest treatment and technologies.”

KidneyX was first announced in 2018 as a joint public-private partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services and the American Society of Nephrology to spur the development and commercialization of innovative technologies and therapeutics in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases. Its first prize competition, Redesign Dialysis, aims to incentivize the development of next-generation dialysis products and is about to enter Phase 2, in which participants will be asked to develop and demonstrate prototype dialysis technologies. As a true public-private partnership, the private sector has already contributed $25 million to fund the program and is committed to matching federal funding to achieve a total of $250 million over the next five years.

An estimated 30 million American adults are currently living with chronic kidney disease which, if untreated, can ultimately progress to kidney failure. Furthermore, millions more individuals are at risk of developing this deadly disease and are not aware of their risks. The kidney care community is dedicated to providing education and prevention resources to at-risk patients to help slow the rise of kidney failure.

“KCP is very optimistic about that promise of KidneyX, which fills a critical gap in the development of innovative treatments and technologies can make a true and lasting difference for the millions of individuals living with kidney disease, kidney failure, and kidney transplants today,” concluded Dr. Nissenson.

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