Rhode Island Democratic Senator Jack Reed and Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina have introduced a bill that could help patients suffering from diseases requiring bone marrow and cord blood transplants.
The legislation would reauthorize the National Marrow Donor Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory which contract with the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration.
“Ultimately, this is all about helping patients and families in their time of need as they face unimaginable circumstances. It provides direct support to these critical institutions that do incredible research, match donors and patients, help save live lives, and improve health outcomes,” said Senator Jack Reed. “Our bipartisan bill builds upon the highly successful National Marrow Donor Program that has been a lifeline for thousands of transplant patients over the last two decades. Bone marrow and cord blood transplants continue to offer effective treatments for a number of diseases and disorders. This bipartisan bill would help expand access to lifesaving therapies to patients with conditions that can be treated and even cured with bone marrow or cord blood.”
The bipartisan bill would renew the programs through 2031 to advance medical research, improve patient outcomes and ensure that America's bone marrow transplantation and cord blood inventory can continue to save lives.
(Photo by SHOWAN SULAIMAN ALI/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo: SHOWAN SULAIMAN ALI / AFP / Getty Images