Kidney Disease News and Research

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Kona Medical raises $30 million in Series C financing

Kona Medical, Inc. today announced it has raised $30 million in Series C financing to advance its novel hypertension therapy.

31 May 2012

Spectrum initiates enrollment in RenaZorb Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in oncology and hematology, today announced the initiation of patient enrollment in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of RenaZorb in healthy volunteers.

29 May 2012

Intensive glycemic control not associated with reduced risk of kidney failure in type-2 diabetics

Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that intensively controlling glucose (glycemic) levels in type-2 diabetes patients may not reduce the risk of kidney failure. The study, which is a review of data from seven clinical trials, is published in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

29 May 2012

Intensive glucose control associated with reduced risk of albuminuria

A review of data from seven clinical trials suggests that intensive glucose control is associated with reduced risk of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria (conditions characterized by excessive levels of protein in the urine usually resulting from damage to the filtering units of the kidneys), according to a report published in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

29 May 2012

Hearing loss linked to several chronic diseases

The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is raising awareness of the link between hearing loss and some chronic diseases during National Men's Health Week (June 11 – 17).

25 May 2012

Peritonitis commonly arises in the weeks before many dialysis patients die

An infection called peritonitis commonly arises in the weeks before many dialysis patients die, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

25 May 2012

Oxidative stress may put obese patients at increased risk of kidney damage after heart surgery

Oxidative stress may put obese patients at increased risk of developing kidney damage after heart surgery, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

25 May 2012

First study to examine how patients and families are soliciting living kidney donors on Facebook

Loyola University Medical Center researchers are reporting one of the first studies to examine how patients and families are soliciting living kidney donors on Facebook.

24 May 2012

Phase I/II clinical trial of novel dialysate completed by Zytoprotec

Zytoprotec, a company developing drugs based on active cytoprotection, today announced the completion of a Phase I/II clinical trial with its lead product, PD-protec™. The product is developed to improve the treatment of patients with kidney failure.

23 May 2012

Salt intake: why is it bad for you?

Many of us are aware that we shouldn’t eat too much salt. To be precise, adults should avoid eating over 6g (or around about a teaspoon of salt) a day.

21 May 2012

Ocera’s Zysa receives CE Mark to treat IBS-d

Ocera Therapeutics Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary agents to treat gastrointestinal and liver diseases, announced today that it has received a CE Mark for Zysa (spherical carbon adsorbent, formerly AST-120) for the treatment of diarrhea predominant IBS (IBS-d), a condition affecting 10-15% of the Western world.

19 May 2012

One type of open heart surgery is likely safer than the other for CKD patients

One type of open heart surgery is likely safer than the other for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

18 May 2012

Renal denervation can effectively reduce blood pressure in CKD patients with hypertension

Disrupting certain nerves in the kidneys can safely and effectively lower blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

18 May 2012

Fitness fanatic dad becomes research pioneer after kidney disease diagnosis

A super-fit father who rowed the distance from the Equator to the North Pole on a rowing machine has told of how his experience of kidney disease led to him becoming the first patient to take part in a groundbreaking research study run in Sheffield and Leeds.

17 May 2012

Updated results from Amgen’s blinatumomab Phase 2 study on ALL

Amgen today announced updated results from a Phase 2 study that showed treatment with blinatumomab (AMG 103) helped achieve a high-rate of complete response (CR) in 72 percent of adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated in the study.

17 May 2012

Chinese sFDA approves Baxter's ADVATE to treat hemophilia A

Baxter International Inc. today announced the approval of ADVATE [Recombinant Human Coagulation Factor VIII for injection] for the control and prophylaxis of bleeding episodes in individuals with hemophilia A (congenital factor VIII deficiency) in China by the State Food and Drug Administration.

From Baxter International Inc. 17 May 2012

Excess protein in urine test predicts renal failure in patients with severe sepsis

Henry Ford Hospital researchers have found that the presence of excess protein in a common urine test is an effective prognostic marker of acute renal failure in patients with severe sepsis.

14 May 2012

Positive results from Cytochroma CTAP101 Phase 2b clinical trial for CKD

Cytochroma today announced positive clinical trial results for its lead product, CTAP101 Capsules. In a recently completed Phase 2b trial, CTAP101 Capsules effectively and safely lowered elevated plasma intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in patients with Stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and vitamin D insufficiency.

11 May 2012

Rituximab does not appear to benefit children with INS

The drug rituximab, an antibody that targets the immune system and is often used to treat immune disorders such as lymphoma and arthritis, has recently emerged as a potential treatment for a childhood kidney disorder known as idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.

11 May 2012

A Better Method for Diagnosing Kidney Disease

Assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using kidney filtration markers in blood is the standard means for determining kidney function, diagnosing kidney disease and measuring its progression. A higher filtration rate indicates healthy kidney function, while a lower rate points to various stages of kidney disease. A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the new CKD-EPI equation for calculating GFR is a better predictor of risk for kidney disease and death compared to the most widely used method. The findings suggest that switching to the CKD-EPI equation for calculating GFR could focus efforts more efficiently, and improve assessment of patient future risk and treatment of kidney disease. The study is published in the May 9 edition of JAMA.

10 May 2012