Kidney Failure News and Research

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First Edition: October 24, 2011

Today's headlines include a variety of health policy news developments, including speculation about how the Supreme Court might review the health law and what's happening with the super committee.

24 Oct 2011

U-M researchers to study new approach in halting downward spiral of diabetes

University of Michigan Health System researchers will use a $3.5 million federal grant to study a new approach in halting the downward spiral of diabetes.

24 Oct 2011

Clues into how gene defects may cause ARPKD in babies

Babies born with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) often develop kidney failure because they have very large kidneys filled with tiny cysts. Even with excellent medical care, about 30% die shortly after birth. New research now provides clues into how gene defects may cause this condition, which occurs in 1 out of 20,000 newborns.

22 Oct 2011

Alexion third quarter total revenues increase to $204.0 million

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011.

20 Oct 2011

New research on link between APOL1 gene variants and kidney disease in African Americans

Compared to European Americans, African Americans are four to five times more likely to develop kidney failure. Also, family members of African Americans with kidney failure have an increased risk of developing kidney failure, which suggests that genetics may play a role in this skewed risk between races.

15 Oct 2011

FDA grant to foster development of novel pediatric medical devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded the Georgia Institute of Technology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University and Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute (SJTRI) a two-year, $1.8 million grant to foster the development of medical devices focused on the special needs of children.

13 Oct 2011

UMass Amherst SPHHS wins HHS award to create Public Health Training Center

Training to improve the nation's public health system by strengthening the technical, scientific, managerial and leadership competence of current and future public health workers will soon be underway in Springfield, Holyoke, Pittsfield and the Berkshires, supported by a four-year, $2.5 million grant to the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

10 Oct 2011

Dialysis patients with kidney failure more likely to develop serious complications from flu

For most people, the flu is a temporary setback that makes them feel under the weather for a week or two. For dialysis patients with kidney failure, however, the flu is a serious health threat that can lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening complications.

1 Oct 2011

UC San Diego professor receives NIDDK grant to study kidney complications related to diabetes

Kumar Sharma, MD, FAHA, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and director of the Center for Renal Translational Medicine, has received a $5.9 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to study kidney complications related to type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

1 Oct 2011

Stroke risk increases with even small rises in blood pressure

Small rises of blood pressure may greatly increase a person's risk of stroke, according to new research. The study review, published in the journal Neurology, analyzed the results of 12 studies on blood pressure and stroke incidences among a total of 518,520 adults.

29 Sep 2011

Afinitor Phase III study on angiomyolipomas associated with TSC meets primary endpoint

A Phase III study of Afinitor (everolimus) tablets in patients with non-cancerous kidney tumors, or angiomyolipomas, associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) met its primary endpoint of best overall angiomyolipoma response rate, which includes reduction in kidney tumor size and absence of new tumors.

26 Sep 2011

EMA CHMP adopts positive opinion for Soliris to treat atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion recommending that the therapeutic indication for Soliris® (eculizumab) be extended to include the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) in Europe.

23 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

NPS announces data about hypoparathyroidism to be presented at ASBMR 2011 meeting

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, announced that data about hypoparathyroidism will be presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) in San Diego, CA, September 16-20, 2011.

19 Sep 2011

InnoCentive, JDRF announce $100,000 Challenge to uncover solutions for insulin-dependent diabetes

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the worldwide leader for research to cure, treat, and prevent type 1 diabetes, and InnoCentive, Inc., the pioneer in open innovation and crowdsourcing, today announced a $100,000 Challenge calling for innovative ways to approach the discovery and development of a glucose-responsive insulin drug as a means to treat insulin-dependent diabetes.

9 Sep 2011

Robert Gordon University scientists to develop new treatment for cystinosis

A team of researchers at Robert Gordon University has secured a six figure sum from Sparks, a leading children’s medical research charity, to develop a revolutionary treatment for a rare genetic disorder.

6 Sep 2011

High risk of serious complications or death in children with SP-HUS

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by infection with pneumococcal bacteria leads to severe illness—with a high rate of irreversible kidney damage—in infants and young children, reports a study in the September issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

30 Aug 2011

Urinary protein excretion may contribute to increased risk of kidney failure in blacks

African Americans are four times more likely to develop kidney failure than whites. A new study has found that a condition that occurs when the kidneys are damaged and spill protein into the urine contributes to this increased risk.

26 Aug 2011

FDA approves Allergan's BOTOX to treat specific form of urinary incontinence

Allergan, Inc. today announced the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BOTOX for injection for the treatment of urinary incontinence due to detrusor overactivity associated with a neurologic condition in adults who have an inadequate response to or are intolerant of an anticholinergic medication.

25 Aug 2011

GetWellNetwork doing well with hospitals

In other health IT news, a study found that Google-type word searches of hospital medical records are better at detecting patient safety issues than searches using numerical billing codes.

24 Aug 2011