Dialysis News and Research

Latest Dialysis News and Research

E.U. CHMP issues positive opinion for use of Celgene's REVLIMID/dexamethasone MM drug

Celgene International Sàrl was notified today that the E.U. Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), on behalf of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has concluded an Article 20 review of REVLIMID and issued a positive opinion for the use of REVLIMID in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy.

23 Sep 2011

NYT: Ethics probe involves kidney transplant center, Rep. Berkley

In 2008 Ms. Berkley helped lead an effort to block a move by federal regulators to close Nevada's only kidney transplant center, which her husband's medical practice helps run under a $738,000-a-year contract. She also successfully pushed regulators, as recently as March, to reverse a plan to cut Medicare reimbursement to dialysis centers, including the dozen her husband's medical practice owns.

23 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 22, 2011

In today's headlines, reports that young adults are making gains in health coverage rates.

22 Sep 2011

Long-term immunosuppressants improve survival for lupus patients with ESKD

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have shown that close supervision by rheumatologists and the use of immunosuppressant drugs improve the survival of lupus patients with end-stage kidney disease—a finding that could reverse long-standing clinical practice.

21 Sep 2011

Keryx completes enrollment in Zerenex Phase 3 long-term study for hyperphosphatemia

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals today announced completion of patient enrollment in the long-term study component of its Phase 3 registration program of Zerenex, the Company's ferric iron-based phosphate binder for the treatment of elevated serum phosphorus levels, or hyperphosphatemia, in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis.

20 Sep 2011

ONGLYZA used with insulin maintains improvement in glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca today announced results from an investigational Phase 3b clinical study in which the addition of ONGLYZA (saxagliptin) 5 mg to ongoing insulin therapy (with or without metformin) maintained reductions of blood sugar levels (glycosylated hemoglobin levels, or HbA1c) in adult patients with type 2 diabetes compared to the addition of placebo (with or without metformin) from 24 to 52 weeks.

16 Sep 2011

Demand for kidney transplant and dialysis increases due to diabetes prevalence

A survey reveals that the need for kidney transplants and dialysis is expected to soar by 2020 mainly due to a rise in diabetics developing chronic kidney disease and needing treatment. The total number of Australians being treated for end-stage kidney disease is forecast to rise by up to 80 per cent to about 4300 in the coming decade. While the fact that Australia's population is ageing and growing means more people are likely to develop end-stage kidney disease, the number of diabetics with the condition is also on the rise.

15 Sep 2011

KAI enters KAI-4169 development and commercialization agreement with Ono

KAI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held drug discovery and development company, today announced the signing of an agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the development and commercialization in Japan of KAI-4169, KAI's lead product candidate.

15 Sep 2011

Sickle cell trait does not increase risk of severe kidney disease in African-Americans

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center report that sickle cell trait is not a risk factor for the development of severe kidney disease in African-Americans.

15 Sep 2011

Tengion reinitiates enrollment in Neo-Urinary Conduit clinical trial for bladder cancer

Tengion, Inc. today announced that it has reinitiated enrollment of patients in the ongoing initial clinical trial of its lead product candidate, the Neo-Urinary Conduit, which is being evaluated in bladder cancer patients requiring a urinary diversion following bladder removal.

14 Sep 2011

AM-Pharma announces €29.2m series D round of financing

AM-Pharma B.V., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the preclinical and clinical development of Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) for treatment of severe inflammatory diseases, today announced that it has raised €29.2m in Series D financing.

13 Sep 2011

Roundup: Ga. rejects rule to curb dental hygienists' work; Ohio high-risk pool faces higher than expected costs

The Georgia Board of Dentistry on Friday rejected a proposed rule that public health officials feared would have restricted dental hygienists' work with low-income patients. Several health groups had said the provision, if approved, would require a dentist to examine a patient before a hygienist can apply sealants, clean teeth and perform other preventive dental services in a public health setting.

13 Sep 2011

State roundup: Calif. hospitals fined for errors; Va. dental health concerns

Grady Memorial Hospital and Fresenius Medical Care have reached a basic agreement on providing dialysis services for 22 immigrants whose regular treatment ended last week. The Grady spokesman, Matt Gove, said that under the new deal, Grady will help cover the cost of dialysis for the patients, who up until two years ago were regularly treated at the hospital's outpatient facility.

9 Sep 2011

Blood levels of FGF-23 can help predict CKD patients at risk of heart problems

The blood levels of a particular hormone can help predict which kidney disease patients will develop heart problems, need dialysis, and die prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

9 Sep 2011

Medical students may act on unconscious racial preferences

New Johns Hopkins research shows that medical students — just like the general American population — may have unconscious if not overt preferences for white people, but this innate bias does not appear to translate into different or lesser health care of other races.

8 Sep 2011

DOJ investigates Miss. mental health care; N.H. pharmacists win permission to vaccinate

The Justice Department is now investigating Mississippi's mental health system, seeking to determine whether those suffering from mental illness are receiving appropriate treatment. Justice Department officials are expected to return to the Magnolia State later this month, and it's a safe bet they will make similar recommendations against Mississippi as they have against Virginia and other states, said Region 8 Executive Director Dave Van.

7 Sep 2011

DaVita completes acquisition of DSI

DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services committed to improving the quality of life for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), announced today that it has closed its acquisition of DSI Renal, Inc.

6 Sep 2011

Immigrant dialysis patients in Atlanta again face treatment crisis

After the collapse of negotiations between Atlanta's public hospital and the world's largest dialysis provider, a dozen immigrants suffering from renal failure were refused treatment at an Atlanta clinic on Thursday and advised to wait until their conditions deteriorated enough to justify life-saving care in an emergency room. Unless the deadlock is broken, 22 patients, most of them illegal immigrants, face a debilitating cycle.

3 Sep 2011

New tool to predict survival after heart transplant

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have developed a formula to predict which heart transplant patients are at greatest risk of death in the year following their surgeries, information that could help medical teams figure out who would benefit most from the small number of available organs.

2 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 2, 2011

On Kaiser Health News' blog, staff writer Julie Appleby writes: "Insurers who offer 'association health plans,' which are often sold through trade groups or other organizations of affiliated members, will face the same scrutiny of premium rate hikes as other types of insurance, federal officials said Thursday."

2 Sep 2011