Renal disease News and Research

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USRC to acquire DCA

U.S. Renal Care, Inc., a privately-held leading provider of outpatient dialysis services, and Dialysis Corporation of America, a leading provider of outpatient kidney dialysis centers, announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement for USRC to acquire DCA.

15 Apr 2010

Genes influence chronic kidney disease risk: Research

A team of researchers from the United States and Europe has identified more than a dozen genes that may play a role in the etiology of common forms of kidney disease. The team, known as the CKDGen Consortium, examined common variations in DNA sequences in more than 65,000 individuals of European descent. Common variations in several genes were found to be more frequent among people with poor kidney function or chronic kidney disease than in those with normal kidney function.

13 Apr 2010

Medinox, Orient Europharma form partnering agreement for NOX-100 anti-hypotensive drug

Medinox, Inc. in Carlsbad, California and Orient Europharma in Taiwan announce today that they have entered into a partnering agreement to develop and market NOX-100, a new anti-hypotensive drug. Under the terms of the agreement, Orient Europharma holds the exclusive distribution rights of NOX-100 in Taiwan, China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Medinox retains the marketing rights in the United States, Japan and Europe.

12 Apr 2010

Investment report on Keryx Biopharmaceuticals from BeaconEquity.com

BeaconEquity.com announces an investment report featuring Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

6 Apr 2010

Nephros' 2009 product revenues up 81%

Nephros, Inc. announced today financial results for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2009.

3 Apr 2010

Amherst Dialysis staff honored with End Stage Renal Disease Patient Safety Improvement Award

Laura Simms has spent 12 hours a week receiving hemodialysis treatment since last fall, when her kidneys failed as a result of high blood pressure. The 50-year-old Monroe resident says the staff at University of Virginia Health System's Amherst Dialysis clinic have become like family to her.

2 Apr 2010

New index developed to determine risk of death in patients with end-stage kidney disease

A new clinical prediction index has been developed to determine the risk of death in patients with end-stage kidney disease considering transplantation, states a Research article in CMAJ.

1 Apr 2010

Seniors with diabetes and dementia more likely to fall into Medicare Part D prescription drug plan

Among seniors, women and patients with diabetes and dementia are the most likely to fall into the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan "donut hole" - the gap occurring after beneficiaries reach their annual coverage limit and before catastrophic coverage kicks in - according to new research published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

29 Mar 2010

Medical conditions put seniors at high risk of unsubsidized medical prescription expenses

If you're older, a woman, and suffering from either dementia or diabetes, you are the most likely to be exposed to unsubsidized medication costs in the US. This is known as the coverage gap for enrollees of Medicare Part D - the US federal program which subsidizes the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.

26 Mar 2010

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals reports net loss of $4.7M for 2009 fourth quarter

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of medically important pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases, including cancer and renal disease (the "Company"), today announced its results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

25 Mar 2010

NKF: Certain ethnic minorities are at higher risk for developing CKD

Certain ethnic minorities, including African Americans and Hispanics, are at a higher risk than the general population for developing potentially life-threatening chronic kidney disease (CKD), which has been linked to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

16 Mar 2010

ACCORD Lipid trial: New research into atherogenic dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes

Cardiovascular risk can be reduced by an additional 31 percent in type 2 diabetes patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia, the common combination of elevated triglycerides (TG, 204 mg/dL or 2.3 mmol/L or higher) and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, 34 mg/dL or 0.88 mmol/L or lower).

15 Mar 2010

Rex Medical receives FDA Clearance for Cleaner Rotational Thrombectomy System

Rex Medical, L.P., today announced that it has received 510(k) Clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the Cleaner™ Rotational Thrombectomy System. Cleaner™ technology is indicated for mechanical declotting of occluded native vessel dialysis fistulae and synthetic dialysis access grafts.

11 Mar 2010

Poor, minority adults with chronic kidney disease face increase risk of developing ESRD

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) afflicts a large number of younger minority adults receiving medical care in settings that serve the uninsured and underinsured (settings collectively known as the healthcare safety net). Poor, minority adults with moderate to severe CKD are also two to four times more likely to progress to kidney failure than non-Hispanic whites.

11 Mar 2010

Positive interim results from NxStage Medical's FREEDOM study in RLS

NxStage Medical, Inc., a leading manufacturer of innovative dialysis products, today announced the latest interim results from its ongoing FREEDOM study, which show the significant improvement of overall sleep quality and marked improvement in Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) experienced by patients after four months of daily home hemodialysis therapy with the NxStage System One™.

8 Mar 2010

Dialysis patients gather to encourage state lawmakers to support Medigap legislation

More than 50 dialysis patients, family members and kidney care advocates from across South Carolina gathered at the state Capitol today with the National Kidney Foundation Serving the Carolinas, South Carolina Region (NKF) and Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) to encourage state lawmakers to support Medigap legislation (S. 1128, sponsored by Senators Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee) and Phillip Shoopman (R-Greenville), and H. 4552, sponsored by Representatives Joan Brady (R-Richland), Bill Sandifer (R-Seneca) and Kristopher Crawford (R-Florence)).

5 Mar 2010

South Carolina kidney patients to meet lawmakers and urge passage of S. 1128 legislation

On Wednesday, March 3, kidney patients from across South Carolina will join the National Kidney Foundation Serving the Carolinas, South Carolina Region and Dialysis Patient Citizens in holding a briefing at the State Capitol Rotunda, followed by a series of meetings with lawmakers and staff, urging the passage of key legislation this year that would help approximately 500 South Carolina kidney failure patients and thousands of disabled South Carolinians who are struggling to access health insurance for the life-saving medical care they need.

3 Mar 2010

Greater use of ESAs and iron at lower hematocrit levels decrease risk of death for hemodialysis patients

Greater use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and more frequent use of iron at lower hematocrit levels (the proportion of the blood that consists of red blood cells) was associated with a decreased risk of death for hemodialysis patients, according to a study in the March 3 issue of JAMA.

3 Mar 2010

Study identifies risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in kidney disease patients on dialysis

Vitamin D deficiency is almost universal among kidney disease patients who have low blood protein levels and who start dialysis during the winter, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The research identifies a group of patients who are at extremely high risk of being deficient in vitamin D and provides some clues as to why the deficiency occurs in these individuals.

26 Feb 2010

Georgia State Senate praised for passing legislation to help kidney failure patients have access to health insurance

Georgia’s kidney care community today praised the Georgia State Senate for unanimously passing important legislation (S.B. 316) to secure access to needed health insurance for approximately 2,000 Georgians suffering from kidney failure. The bill, which was originally introduced by Senators Don Thomas (R-Dalton) and Ed Harbison (D-Columbus), has received support from across the patient advocacy community and legislators alike.

20 Feb 2010