iMDx and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons Announce Recipients of the ASTS-iMDx Health Economics Research Grant
-Grant Supports Health Economic Research Comparing In-House versus Send-Out dd-cfDNA Testing in Kidney Transplantation-
NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Insight Molecular Diagnostics Inc., (Nasdaq: IMDX), (iMDx), and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) today announced the selection of Kenneth Andreoni, MD, Surgical Director of Kidney Transplantation at Thomas Jefferson University, and Kenneth Chavin, MD, MBA, PhD, FACS, of Temple Health, as the recipients of the ASTS-iMDx Research Grant for Understanding the Health Economics of In-House versus Send-Out of donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) testing. The pursuit of this research is timely as the transplant community increasingly considers adopting in-house dd-cfDNA testing, and rigorous economic and outcomes data is essential to guide transplant programs in making informed decisions about their laboratory infrastructure and assay selection.
The $100,000 grant will be administered through ASTS and funded by iMDx. This health econometric research will compare the costs, clinical impact, and operational implications of in-house diagnostic testing versus send-out centralized laboratory testing. The results of this independent econometric study will generate important information to support future commercialization planning for GraftAssureDx™, which is currently under FDA review.
About the ASTS-iMDx Health Economics Research Grant Recipients
Dr. Andreoni serves as Surgical Director of Kidney Transplantation at Thomas Jefferson University and brings deep clinical and administrative expertise to the evaluation of transplant program operations and diagnostic testing strategies. Dr. Chavin holds appointments at Temple Health and has a unique interdisciplinary perspective informed by his combined training in medicine, business, and science. Together, the grant recipients offer complementary experience in transplant surgery, health systems management, and clinical research that positions this project to generate meaningful and actionable insights for the transplant field.
"We are very pleased to announce Drs. Andreoni and Chavin as the recipients of this grant, " said iMDx CEO Josh Riggs. "Both physicians have outstanding experience and credibility in the field of transplantation, and we are confident that their research will advance the community 's understanding of the real-world economics of in-house diagnostics. We are also grateful for the opportunity to partner with the American Society of Transplant Surgeons on this important program. As more transplant centers explore in-house dd-cfDNA testing, having rigorous health economic data will be critical to helping programs evaluate their options and plan accordingly. "
"The question of whether to perform dd-cfDNA testing in-house or through a centralized laboratory is one that many transplant programs are actively grappling with, " said Dr. Kenneth Chavin of Temple Health. "This grant gives us the opportunity to develop a rigorous economic model that will help transplant centers think through the true costs and benefits of each approach. We look forward to producing research that can serve as a practical resource for the community. "
"In-house testing has the potential to meaningfully improve turnaround times and, ultimately, patient care, " said Dr. Kenneth Andreoni, Surgical Director of Kidney Transplantation at Thomas Jefferson University. "But making the case for that investment requires data. We are excited to conduct this research in partnership with ASTS and iMDx and to contribute evidence that transplant programs can use as they evaluate their diagnostic testing strategies. "
ASTS and iMDx established the grant to support research that compares the total cost of care, return on investment, clinical outcomes, and operational efficiency associated with in-house versus send-out transplant testing. Proposed studies are encouraged to utilize advanced econometric modeling such as Markov models, decision-tree analysis, or instrumental variable approaches.
iMDx Transplant Products and Product Candidates in Development
iMDx 's flagship GraftAssure™ technology quantifies dd-cfDNA, a molecular biomarker of kidney transplant rejection that has been validated in peer-reviewed studies across leading academic transplant centers around the world. The Company’s scientists in Germany and the U.S. have played a critical role over the past decade in developing the science that helped establish dd-cfDNA as a trusted biomarker of transplant rejection. Under the GraftAssure™ brand, iMDx’s transplant diagnostics include the following:
- GraftAssureCore – The company’s laboratory-developed test (LDT), currently reimbursed by CMS and performed at iMDx’s CLIA-certified laboratory in Franklin, Tenn.
- GraftAssureIQ – A research-use-only (RUO) kit intended and labeled for non-clinical applications.
- GraftAssureDx – iMDx has submitted GraftAssureDx™, a kitted in vitro diagnostic for clinical decision-making, to the FDA for regulatory review under the Class II de novo pathway.
About Insight Molecular Diagnostics, Inc.
Insight Molecular Diagnostics is a pioneering diagnostics technology company whose mission is to democratize access to novel molecular diagnostic testing to improve patient outcomes. Investors may visit https://investors.imdxinc.com/ for more information.
GraftAssureCore™, GraftAssureIQ™, GraftAssureDx™, GraftAssure™, and iMDx™ are trademarks of Insight Molecular Diagnostics, Inc.
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