Coalition for 21st Century Medicine Congratulates U.S. Senate on Passage of Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

WASHINGTON, April 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Coalition for 21st Century Medicine (www.twentyfirstcenturymedicine.org), a group of key medical stakeholders which includes innovative diagnostic technology companies, clinical laboratories, venture capitalists, and patient advocacy groups, congratulates the U.S. Senate on the passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) by a 95-0 vote this morning.

The House of Representatives passed GINA by an overwhelming vote last year and again last month as part of mental health parity legislation. With the Senate passage of the bill, the President is poised to sign this landmark legislation into law. The Coalition commends Senators Kennedy and Snowe and Congresswoman Slaughter for their hard work on this historic bill, more than a decade in the making.

Coalition for 21st Century Medicine co-chair Howard Birndorf celebrated the Senate passage of GINA and urged the President to sign GINA into law noting "after a decade of negotiations, we are now one step closer to realizing the full potential of personalized medicine."

GINA will foster innovation, brighten the future of predictive and preventive personalized medicine, and help the millions of American families who rely on personalized medicine.

Sharon F. Terry, President & CEO of the Genetic Alliance and a member of the Coalition for 21st Century Medicine said, "The uniting efforts of thousands of people, from patients to companies to health care providers has made this passage possible. Senator Kennedy in particular is a champion of personalized medicine -- and this legislation marks yet another piece of landmark civil rights legislation."

By protecting citizens from the misuse of genetic information in employment and health insurance, GINA will promote patient access to new diagnostic tests and advance the development of these life-saving tests.

The Coalition for 21st Century Medicine is dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare by encouraging the research, development and commercialization of innovative new diagnostic technologies. For more information about the Coalition for 21st Century Medicine please visit www.twentyfirstcenturymedicine.org.

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Source: The Coalition for 21st Century Medicine

CONTACT: Rachel Fox of The Coalition for 21st Century Medicine,
+1-202-879-5594

Web Site: http://www.twentyfirstcenturymedicine.org/

2008-04-24 18:46:32 0345058 PRNEWSWIRE