Dialysis News and Research

Latest Dialysis News and Research

Pay-for-performance makes its way into dialysis clinics

Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press: A new Medicare rule may ding dialysis centers by up to two percent of their reimbursement in 2012 if they don't meet quality standards the agency sets. The program "is the agency's first pay-per-performance system, and it won't be the last." The agency has, however, run various experiments that pay providers for better performance.

10 Aug 2010

Donate Life California's list of organ and tissue donors increases to seven million

The number of registered organ and tissue donors in California has reached the nation-leading seven million mark, it was announced today by California Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles), the Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

7 Aug 2010

Research shows variations in care that kidney disease patients receive before starting dialysis

The wealth or poverty of kidney disease patients' communities impacts the quality of care patients receive before starting dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology. The results suggest that medical professionals need to improve care for patients who have not yet started dialysis.

6 Aug 2010

Affymax, Takeda announce preliminary strategy for Hematide to treat anemia in chronic renal failure patients

Affymax, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, today announced that the companies have decided on a preliminary strategic path forward for the investigational drug, Hematide™/peginesatide, for the treatment of anemia in chronic renal failure patients in the United States.

5 Aug 2010

Merck's two pivotal boceprevir Phase III registration studies for chronic HCV meet primary endpoint

Merck reported that two pivotal Phase III registration studies for boceprevir, its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, have been completed and met the primary endpoints: in both studies in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection, the addition of boceprevir to treatment with PEGINTRON® and REBETOL® significantly increased the number of patients who achieved sustained virologic response, compared to control groups that received Peg/riba plus placebo.

5 Aug 2010

Affymax reports second-quarter net income of $17.3M against loss last year

Affymax, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010. Net income for the second quarter of 2010 was $17.3 million compared to a net loss of $22.1 million for the second quarter of 2009. The company received milestone payments of $30.0 million from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited for database lock of the Hematide/peginesatide Phase 3 clinical trials.

5 Aug 2010

Bayshore Home Health announces acquisition of CCT

Bayshore Home Health announced today the purchase of Windsor, Ontario-based home health care company Community Care Therapy Limited. The acquisition expands Bayshore's home care service offerings to include occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech language pathology.

4 Aug 2010

CSI launches Diamondback Predator 360 catheter system for treatment of peripheral arterial disease

Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. has launched its second-generation product, the Diamondback Predator 360° PAD System, for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The new device uses the same mechanism of action as the clinically proven Diamondback 360 PAD System with improvements in the crowns and shaft for enhanced clinical performance and shorter procedure times.

4 Aug 2010

Proposed settlement does not cover underpaying professional provider claims: Federal court

A federal court in New York, overseeing a proposed class action settlement against United Healthcare for underpaying professional provider claims, has confirmed that the settlement does not cover claims for services and supplies rendered by facilities.

3 Aug 2010

RN layoffs far more extensive than Peterborough Regional Health Centre's announcement

Cuts of registered nurses (RNs) at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) are far more extensive than the hospital has informed the community of and will have a serious impact on patient care.

31 Jul 2010

Angiotech reports $61.9 million total revenue for second-quarter 2010

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

31 Jul 2010

FDA clears Hotspur's new balloon dilatation and embolectomy catheters

Hotspur Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has received FDA clearance for the first three commercial products in its portfolio. These products are based on Hotspur's unique and groundbreaking technology that makes dialysis access interventional and peripheral vascular procedures that open blood vessels less expensive, more efficient, and less invasive for patients.

30 Jul 2010

Study explores benefits, risks of aggressive blood sugar control in hemodialysis patients

Aggressive blood sugar control does not improve survival in diabetic patients with kidney failure, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology. The results suggest that physicians should individualize blood sugar targets for these patients and not rely on recommendations based on studies in the general population.

30 Jul 2010

Texas raises organ donor registry; D.C. not ready for medical marijuana sales; L.A. health department facing major service cuts

"Though Texas has the nation's lowest percentage of registered organ and tissue donors, several recent initiatives have more than doubled the state's donor rolls this year. The number enrolled in the Glenda Dawson Donate Life Texas Registry has ballooned since Jan. 1, when state law required Department of Public Safety clerks to ask all driver's license and ID card applicants whether they would like to register as organ donors. Since then, nearly 70,000 donors a month have joined the pool" (George, 7/27).

29 Jul 2010

Study reveals high rate of atrial fibrillation in patients with early stages of CKD

Millions of Americans in the early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at an increased risk of having atrial fibrillation (AF) - a major risk factor for stroke - according to new research by investigators at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

29 Jul 2010

AMAG attributes increased second-quarter revenues of $18.8 million to Feraheme

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a therapeutic iron compound to treat iron deficiency anemia and novel imaging agents to aid in the diagnosis of cancer and cardiovascular disease, today reported unaudited consolidated financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010. For the second quarter, AMAG reported total revenue of $18.8 million, including $16.0 million of Feraheme® (ferumoxytol) Injection for intravenous (IV) use net product revenues.

29 Jul 2010

DaVita releases second annual corporate social responsibility report

DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today released its second annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, which highlights the company's philanthropic, sustainability and community-building efforts through 2009.

28 Jul 2010

Merck signs non-exclusive license agreement with LabCorp for commercialization of genetic test

Merck announced a non-exclusive license agreement with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings for the commercialization of a genetic test that may help predict the response of patients with Hepatitis C virus infection to peginterferon alpha-based therapy.

28 Jul 2010

Genzyme accepts CMS decision for delaying Renvela administration to dialysis patients

Genzyme Corp.today said it welcomed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' decision not to include oral medications without IV equivalents in Medicare's End Stage Renal Disease patient benefit. According to the final rule, these medications, including Genzyme's Renvela (sevelamer carbonate), will not be included in the bundle until January 1, 2014.

28 Jul 2010

Medicare to bundle payments for end-stage renal care, reward quality

Medicare payment for end-stage renal disease care may soon be tied to performance and quality measures if a new proposed rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is finalized. "If the rule is finalized, ESRD providers that do not meet set standards" - two measures for anemia management and one for hemodialysis quality - "could have their Medicare payments lowered by up to 2 percent starting January 2012, the CMS said" (McKinney, 7/26).

28 Jul 2010

Dialysis News and Research

Latest Dialysis News and Research

Pay-for-performance makes its way into dialysis clinics

Donate Life California's list of organ and tissue donors increases to seven million

Research shows variations in care that kidney disease patients receive before starting dialysis

Affymax, Takeda announce preliminary strategy for Hematide to treat anemia in chronic renal failure patients

Merck's two pivotal boceprevir Phase III registration studies for chronic HCV meet primary endpoint

Affymax reports second-quarter net income of $17.3M against loss last year

Bayshore Home Health announces acquisition of CCT

CSI launches Diamondback Predator 360 catheter system for treatment of peripheral arterial disease

Proposed settlement does not cover underpaying professional provider claims: Federal court

RN layoffs far more extensive than Peterborough Regional Health Centre's announcement

Angiotech reports $61.9 million total revenue for second-quarter 2010

FDA clears Hotspur's new balloon dilatation and embolectomy catheters

Study explores benefits, risks of aggressive blood sugar control in hemodialysis patients

Texas raises organ donor registry; D.C. not ready for medical marijuana sales; L.A. health department facing major service cuts

Study reveals high rate of atrial fibrillation in patients with early stages of CKD

AMAG attributes increased second-quarter revenues of $18.8 million to Feraheme

DaVita releases second annual corporate social responsibility report

Merck signs non-exclusive license agreement with LabCorp for commercialization of genetic test

Genzyme accepts CMS decision for delaying Renvela administration to dialysis patients

Medicare to bundle payments for end-stage renal care, reward quality

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Dialysis News and Research

Latest Dialysis News and Research

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The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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