Editor’s note: A version of this press release was issued December 19, 2023, by the office of New York State Senator Tim Kennedy.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Senator Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) joined pediatric hematologist/oncologist Steven Ambrusko MD, MS, at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to urge the New York State Department of Health to expedite the coverage approval process for a new groundbreaking gene therapy that is being hailed as a cure for sickle cell disease. On December 8, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the transformative treatment, which works by editing the DNA in a patient’s stem cells. Doctors say this one-time, multi-month treatment will replace the many years of painful treatments and finally provide relief and hope for patients who have long suffered from the disease, which disproportionately impacts Black communities. In New York State, one of every 365 Black infants are born with sickle cell disease, while one in 13 Black infants are born with the sickle cell trait.
In Western New York, there are about 160 patients under the age of 21 being treated for the disease. Through the collaborative Roswell Park Oishei Children’s Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Program, these patients are treated at the Pediatric Center at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. Not all patients will qualify for the gene therapy, but most who do will have Medicaid or Managed Medicaid insurance. This makes it all the more pressing that Medicaid offer a plan to get this life-saving therapy to patients and end a disparity that impacts New York’s Black and underserved populations.
“Health disparities have persisted within communities of color in Buffalo for decades, and in this moment, we have an opportunity to bridge one of those gaps in coverage and care in real time,” says Senator Kennedy. “By expediting the Medicaid approval process for these life-saving new treatments, New York can provide compassion,…
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