Welcome to the Chronic Kidney Disease Insider Newsletter. If you are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis, have had a kidney transplant or are helping care for someone who is, this newsletter was created for you! The CKD Insider Newsletter provides actionable information for you and your family to help you manage your health in consultation with your doctor.
In this month’s CKD Insider:
Latest News
2024 KDIGO Resources Available
The global not for profit Kidney disease improving global outcomes (KDIGO) organization generated 24 resources for you, your family and your nephrologist in 2024. These resources include podcasts, guidelines, infographics, webinars and videos. Take a look below and see if there were any resources you missed that would be useful to you.
Review the 24 KDIGO Resources from 2024 here.
MEDICINE RECALL FOR TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS - Astellas Pharma US, Inc. Issued a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of One Lot of PROGRAF® 0.5mg (Tacrolimus) and One Lot of ASTAGRAF XL® 0.5mg (Tacrolimus Extended-Release Capsules) Because Bottles Shipped to U.S. May Contain Empty Capsules.
If you are a transplant recipient taking Prograf® or Astagraph XL®, please check your medicine bottles; Start by reviewing the bottle labels to see if it matches the affected lots in the table below. Contact your physician if you have an affected lot.
The two lots below might not have the medicine in the capsule that you need to prevent rejection of your transplanted organ. Read below for specific information.
Read the full FDA notice here.
"Patients that have an affected lot should contact their physician or healthcare provider.
Patients and physicians with questions should contact Astellas Medical Information at 1-800-727-7003 During office hours from 9 am to 5:30 pm EST, Monday through Friday."
Risk statement
"Transplant patients who consume empty PROGRAF or ASTAGRAF XL capsules may experience initiation of rejection of the transplanted organ, tissue, or cells, due to underimmunosuppression. In the case of life sustaining organ transplants such as a heart transplant (for which there is no permanent substitute such as hemodialysis in the case of a failed kidney transplant) if the transplant fails, the consequences of rejection initiated by ingesting empty capsules may be fatal.
To date, Astellas has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.
PROGRAF and ASTAGRAF XL are immunosuppressive medicines, used in conjunction with other medicines, to help prevent organ transplant rejection. PROGRAF is used in people who have had kidney, heart, liver, or lung transplants and ASTAGRAF XL is indicated for use in people with kidney transplants."
The affected lot numbers and expiration dates are:
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION | NDC | LOT NO. | EXP. DATE |
PROGRAF® (tacrolimus) 0.5 mg capsules 100 capsules per bottle | 0469-0607-73 | 0E3353D | 03/2026 |
ASTAGRAF XL® (tacrolimus extended-release capsules)0.5 mg capsules 30 capsules per bottle | 0469-0647-73 | 0R3092A | 03/2026 |
Moving forward: The Honor Our Living Donors Act Passed the House in December
The Honor Our Living Donors Act (H.R. 6020), which aims to expand eligibility for the Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program, passed the House this month and is currently being considered by the Senate. This legislation ensures that living donors can receive financial assistance for expenses like lost wages, travel, and dependent care during the donation process, regardless of the recipient's income. With over 92,000 Americans waiting for a kidney transplant, removing financial barriers to living donation is critical to addressing the kidney shortage. Living donor transplants are associated with better outcomes and longer organ function. The American Kidney Fund released a statement commending legislators on the House passage of the legislation.
You can read the statement here.
Your Fun Tip of the Day
Gratitude
Life has its ups and downs, and as we all know it's not always easy. Practicing gratitude every day and discovering what you can be grateful for even in the smallet of things, can help you make it through the day (and life) with a smile.
Write down 3 things you are grateful for each day and see the difference it makes in your perspective!
We are grateful for your continued support and sharing of the CKD Insider Newsletter. The goal has always been to help people with CKD on dialysis and after a transplant by providing clear, actionable information to support informed decision- making. We hope you have seen and felt that!
Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!
If you are looking for places to watch the New Years Eve celebrations on TV check out this list! Enjoy!
Changes in Medicare and Medicaid's 2025 Physician Payment Policy Will Benefit Kidney Patients
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has finalized its 2025 physician payment policies. The National Kidney Foundation wrote a useful guide to changes that will benefit kidney patients. These changes will hopefully improve healthcare access, affordability, and treatment.
What’s New in 2025?
Dental Services Coverage Medicare will now cover certain dental services used to treat conditions related to dialysis treatment or necessary to prevent or treat infections.
Caregiver Training Starting in 2025, caregiver training conducted through telehealth will be covered, offering support from the comfort of one’s home.
Expansion of Telehealth Services Certain telehealth appointments will be able to be audio-only, making care more accessible for those with limited internet access or for those who prefer not being on camera.
Lifetime Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage Beginning in 2025, Medicare will extend lifetime coverage to include oral and compounded formulations of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients.
The HOPE Trial Reported an Effective Technique for Pain Coping for Patients Receiving Dialysis
What it is: The HOPE Consortium Randomized Clinical Trial, recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine, demonstrated that pain coping skills training (PCST), a cognitive-behavioral technique, effectively reduces pain interference—how much pain disrupts daily life—in hemodialysis patients. PCST also improved quality of life and decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety. Additionally, the study aimed to reduce reliance on full-agonist opioids by encouraging the use of partial agonists like buprenorphine in combination with PCST. This approach offers a safe, non-pharmaceutical option for managing pain.
Why it's important: These approaches can be useful for you or your family member to help reduce pain. Read more about the approach taken in the "interventions" section of the paper below and share this with your doctor to see if you can get similar support and/or apply the techniques outlined.
You can read more about this trial and the approach here.
Semaglutide Slows Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes & New Trial for Type 1 Diabetes Patients
What it is: A clinical trial involving over 3,500 patients was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine and showed that Semaglutide—commonly known by its brand names Ozempic and Wegovy—has been shown to significantly slow the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) while reducing cardiovascular events and mortality in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes and CKD.
Why it's important: For those living with Type 1 Diabetes, new clinical trials are underway to explore the potential of Semaglutide for managing kidney disease. If you're interested, active recruitment is happening in Colorado, Washington, and Toronto, Canada.
You can email the study contact at jporter7@uw.edu or call 206-897-4728 to learn more or read more here.
If you found the information helpful, share the CKD Insider newsletter with anyone who might benefit!
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