CareDx to Present Over 50 Abstracts, Including 16 Oral Presentations, at ISHLT 46th Annual Meeting
CareDx, a leading precision medicine organization dedicated to advancing transplant care through innovative diagnostic and digital health solutions, has announced its participation in the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation 2026 Annual Meeting, taking place from April 22 to April 25, 2026, in Toronto. The company’s presence at this year’s global transplant meeting underscores its expanding role in shaping the future of post-transplant surveillance and patient management through non-invasive molecular testing technologies.
At ISHLT 2026, CareDx will showcase an extensive body of clinical and scientific data highlighting its portfolio of transplant diagnostics, including HeartCare, AlloSure Heart, AlloMap Heart, and AlloSure Lung. Collectively, these tools are designed to provide clinicians with actionable insights into transplant health without the need for invasive procedures such as biopsies.
The breadth of CareDx’s scientific contribution to the meeting is substantial. The company will be featured in 50 scientific abstracts, including 16 oral presentations and two dedicated symposia. These presentations incorporate data derived from studies conducted across 95 transplant centers worldwide, reflecting a robust and diverse evidence base. The findings reinforce the growing clinical utility of non-invasive molecular diagnostics in monitoring transplant recipients, assessing risk, and guiding long-term care decisions.
According to Jeffrey Teuteberg, Chief Medical Officer at CareDx, one of the most compelling aspects of this year’s data is the consistency observed across multiple independent studies in both heart and lung transplantation. He emphasized that emerging evidence continues to validate the role of longitudinal molecular testing in providing early signals of potential complications, enabling clinicians to intervene sooner and optimize patient outcomes.
A major focus of CareDx’s presentations is the application of HeartCare, which integrates AlloMap Heart gene expression profiling with AlloSure Heart donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) testing. Together, these complementary approaches provide a comprehensive view of transplant health by assessing both immune system activity and direct evidence of graft injury.
Key findings presented at ISHLT highlight the clinical impact of HeartCare in heart transplant recipients. Notably, elevations in HeartCare metrics were observed several months before the onset of acute cellular rejection and antibody-mediated rejection. This early detection capability suggests that molecular testing may enable clinicians to identify and address rejection risks well before they become clinically apparent.
In addition, increased utilization of HeartCare testing was associated with a reduction in the number of endomyocardial biopsies performed. This is particularly significant given the invasive nature of biopsies and their associated risks. Data also suggest that fewer biopsies may correlate with a lower incidence of complications such as tricuspid regurgitation, a condition that can arise from repeated biopsy procedures.
Economic analyses presented at the conference further demonstrate that surveillance strategies incorporating HeartCare testing can reduce overall healthcare costs compared to traditional biopsy-heavy approaches. Importantly, these cost savings were achieved without compromising patient survival outcomes, reinforcing the value of molecular diagnostics as both a clinical and economic solution.
The benefits of HeartCare extend to pediatric populations as well. Data show that AlloSure Heart levels were elevated during episodes of acute rejection across all pediatric age groups, supporting its role as a reliable, non-invasive biomarker for graft injury in younger transplant recipients.
In lung transplantation, CareDx is presenting new data on the utility of AlloSure Lung, a dd-cfDNA-based test designed to monitor lung allograft health. Findings indicate that changes in AlloSure Lung levels relative to individualized patient baselines are strongly associated with clinically significant declines in lung function. These results highlight the importance of personalized monitoring approaches that account for patient-specific variability.
Further analyses demonstrate an inverse relationship between AlloSure Lung levels and spirometric measures of lung function, suggesting that increases in dd-cfDNA may reflect worsening graft health. Population-level data also reveal distinct kinetic patterns in AlloSure Lung measurements that correspond to different trajectories of lung function over time.
Insights from the ALAMO registry, a large, prospective observational study, reinforce these findings. Increases in AlloSure Lung levels were linked to both acute and chronic lung allograft dysfunction, underscoring the test’s potential as an early warning system for transplant complications. Additionally, research comparing fixed versus dynamic baseline approaches suggests that continuously updated (“running”) baselines may offer superior clinical utility in interpreting test results.
Beyond data presentations, CareDx is actively engaging the transplant community through two interactive symposia designed to explore the practical application of its technologies in clinical decision-making. These sessions bring together leading transplant physicians to discuss real-world case studies and share insights on integrating molecular diagnostics into routine care.
One symposium, titled “Beyond Histology: The MERIT of Molecular Phenotyping with HeartCare,” focuses on the evolving role of molecular testing in heart transplantation. Another, “From Signal to Action: Can AlloSure Lung Inform Earlier Intervention?” examines how clinicians can leverage AlloSure Lung data to guide timely interventions in lung transplant patients. Both sessions aim to foster dialogue and collaboration among experts in the field.
A cornerstone of CareDx’s research portfolio is the SHORE study (Surveillance HeartCare Outcomes Registry), one of the largest prospective studies in heart transplantation. Conducted across 67 centers in the United States, SHORE includes more than 2,700 patients and evaluates the use of combined AlloMap Heart and AlloSure Heart testing in routine clinical practice. Published findings from SHORE have demonstrated the utility of molecular diagnostics in detecting rejection, assessing antibody-mediated rejection, and stratifying patient risk.
Similarly, the ALAMO study (AlloSure Lung Assessment and Metagenomic Outcomes) represents a major effort to advance understanding of lung transplant monitoring. This international registry follows patients longitudinally and provides valuable insights into the role of dd-cfDNA testing in detecting graft injury and predicting clinical outcomes.
Looking ahead, CareDx is introducing the MERIT trial (Molecular Evidence of Rejection Interventional Trial), a randomized, controlled study designed to evaluate whether treatment decisions guided by molecular testing can improve outcomes in heart transplant recipients. The trial focuses on patients who exhibit abnormal molecular test results despite negative biopsy findings—a group that represents a clinical gray area in transplant management.
MERIT is designed as a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and will enroll stable adult heart transplant recipients between two months and two years post-transplant. By comparing outcomes between patients managed with molecular-guided interventions and those receiving standard care, the trial aims to provide definitive evidence on the clinical value of incorporating molecular diagnostics into treatment decision-making.
The introduction of MERIT reflects a broader shift in transplant medicine toward more personalized and proactive care models. Traditional reliance on biopsy-based surveillance is increasingly being supplemented—or in some cases replaced—by non-invasive approaches that offer greater safety, convenience, and sensitivity.
CareDx’s comprehensive presence at ISHLT 2026 highlights the growing momentum behind this transformation. By combining advanced molecular diagnostics with large-scale clinical evidence, the company is helping to redefine how transplant patients are monitored and managed over the long term.
As the field continues to evolve, the integration of non-invasive testing into standard clinical practice has the potential to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance quality of life for transplant recipients. CareDx’s contributions at ISHLT 2026 provide a compelling glimpse into this future, where precision medicine and data-driven insights play a central role in delivering optimal transplant care.
About CareDx
CareDx is a precision medicine company dedicated to improving outcomes for transplant patients and advancing organ health. The Company’s integrated solutions include non-invasive molecular testing for heart, kidney, and lung transplants; laboratory products; digital health technologies; and patient solutions that support care before and after transplant. CareDx is the leading provider of genomics-based information for transplant patients.
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