Fresenius Medical sees up to 2% US dialysis growth by year-end

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The number of kidney dialysis sessions provided by Fresenius Medical Care in its top market, the United States, could rise by as much as 2% by the end of the year, its CEO said, as the impact of the pandemic on patients fades.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Fresenius Medical Care is the world's largest kidney dialysis company, and the fallout from the pandemic - which led to an increase in deaths among patients - has weighed heavily on its shares.

KEY QUOTE

"This year, I’m pleased to say we anticipate U.S. treatment volumes to rebound from a subdued pandemic era by 0.5 to 2 percent by the end of 2024, keeping us on track to a return to pre-pandemic levels of 2 to 3 percent by the end of 2025," CEO Helen Giza said.

Her remarks were posted on the company's website late on Friday as part of a speech prepared for the May 16 annual shareholder meeting.

CONTEXT

Fresenius Medical earlier this year said it anticipated a return to treatment volume growth in the U.S. over the course of 2024, as it slowly recovers from COVID-related deaths among its patients, many of whom suffer from a range of cardiovascular conditions.

On Tuesday, it beat first-quarter operating earnings expectations amid higher pricing and cost-cutting efforts, confirming its profit outlook for 2024.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger and Patricia Weiss; Editing by Mark Potter)