What is new for the kidney care market

Below is a listing of some new products and product updates released to the renal community in 2018.

Company: Amicus Therapeutics U.S.
Product: Galafold
ASN Booth: 1919
Website: www.amicusrx.com

Amicus Therapeutics is marketing Galafold (migalastat) as the first oral treatment for Fabry disease. Galafold is indicated for the treatment of adults with a confirmed diagnosis of Fabry disease and an amenable galactosidase alpha gene (GLA) variant based on in vitro assay data. It is not recommended for use in patients with severe renal impairment or end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis. The safety and effectiveness of Galafold have not been established in pediatric patients.

Company: Avenu Medical
Product: Ellipsys Vascular Access System
Website: www.avenumedical.com

Avenu Medical takes a new approach to access with  the Ellipsys Vascular Access System. The Ellipsys Vascular Access System provides a minimally invasive and cost-effective method to create a percutaneous arteriovenous (AV) fistula for hemodialysis access in patients with ESRD.

The system enables physicians to percutaneously access the proximal radial artery in the forearm to create an AV fistula. Under ultrasound guidance, using a single catheter and venous access, the Ellipsys system creates a connection of the vein to the artery using an intravascular approach.

Low-power thermal energy is used to weld the walls of the vessels, creating a fused and permanent in vivo anastomosis without leaving any foreign material, including sutures in the resulting AV fistula.

Company: Becton Dickinson
Product: WavelinQ endoAVF System
Website: www.bd.com

 

The WavelinQ endoAVF System by Becton Dickinson is a new minimally invasive surgical technique for patients on dialysis. The system provides a minimally invasive option for creating critical arterivenous fistulas for hemodialysis procedures. The system allows vascular surgeons to create a connection between an artery and vein using a technique involving magnets. Two thin, flexible, magnetic catheters are inserted into the ulnar artery and the ulnar vein in the arm through a small puncture. When placed close to each other, the magnets in each catheter attract, pulling the vessels together. After confirming alignment, an electrode from the venous catheter delivers radiofrequency energy to create the connection between the artery and vein. Embolization of the brachial vein is then recommended. The fistula is confirmed with an angiogram to show arterial blood is flowing to the low-pressure venous system. The procedure minimizes the amount of vessel and skin trauma compared to traditional fistula creation using open surgery.

Company: Fresenius Renal Therapies
Product: 2008T BlueStar Hemodialysis Machine
ASN Booth: 1903
Website: www.fmcna.com

 

The 2008T BlueStar hemodialysis machine features 30-plus enhancements, making this the most comprehensive upgrade in company history. The company’s latest technology is built on the feature-rich platform and is designed to provide simpler operation and maintenance with greater user control, labor and cost savings, enhanced data stream, plus SLED and low-volume treatment options.

Company: Health Journeys
Product: Guided Meditations for Reducing & Relieving Pain
Website: www.healthjourneys.com

 

In this guided imagery, Emmett Miller, MD, offers two different mindfulness approaches for restoring comfort and relief, each thoroughly relaxing, soothing and effective, to relieve, revive and revitalize mind, body and spirit. These meditations can train one to tune out pain and tune in recovery.

Company: Medical Education Institute Inc.
Product: Evidence-based kidney patient education
ASN Booth: 2533
Website: www.mei.org

 

All MEI kidney patient education materials start with hope, to move patients past fear and denial; are grounded in motivational theory to engage and activate patients in self-management; use the chronic care model as the vision for how patients and care teams can collaborate; are written at a fifth- or sixth-grade reading level; are designed using adult learning principles; receive a full literature search and multidisciplinary review; and are informed by direct contacts with more than 15,000 patients for more than 29 years.

Company: Medisystems Inc.
Product: Masterguard Plus
Website: www.nxstage.com/mgp

 

Medisystems Inc., a NxStage company, has released MasterGuard Plus for arteriovenous fistula needle safety. MasterGuard Plus extends the safety features of Medisystems’ MasterGuard needle guard and offers new features designed to enhance dialysis staff safety by helping to prevent needlestick injuries. The needle guard offers new intuitive ergonomic and patented safety features, including a redesigned needle lock that increases security after retraction. “Early customer feedback has been positive, validating many of the benefits we expected,” Joseph E. Turk, president of NxStage Medical Inc., said. “We are excited to bring these enhanced features to dialysis staff and patients, while maintaining the ease of use that they have come to expect from Medisystems products.”

Company: Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals
Product: Jynarque
ASN Booths: 2119, 1529
Website: www.otsuka-us.com/discover/oapi

 

The drug Jynarque (tolvaptan) received FDA approval this year for slowing kidney function decline in adults who are at risk for rapidly progressing autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), the most common form of polycystic kidney disease. ADPKD is a progressively debilitating and often painful disorder in which fluid-filled cysts develop in the kidneys over time. These cysts enlarge the kidneys and impair their ability to function normally, leading to kidney failure in most patients.

Company: Pursuit Vascular Inc.
Product: ClearGuard HD Antimicrobial Barrier Caps
ASN Booth: 1922
Website: www.pursuitvascular.com

 

Pursuit Vascular’s ClearGuard HD Antimicrobial Barrier Caps are the first and only device that kill infection-causing bacteria inside a long-term hemodialysis catheter hub. Multiple studies with more than 4,000 patients on hemodialysis in 80 centers showed up to a 69% lower rate of bloodstream infections using ClearGuard HD caps vs. commonly used caps.

Company: ScheduleWise
Product: ScheduleWise
Website: www.getschedulewise.com

ScheduleWise is a web-based workflow management application designed by dialysis professionals specifically for the needs of dialysis organizations. ScheduleWise enables managers to create and sustain safe and effective patient schedules, along with efficient staff schedules to meet productivity goals.

Clinic managers and physician partners will gain visibility into their clinics using interactive workflow graphs that enable them to see clinic workflow like never before. Visibility into available chairs offers better capacity planning for admitting new and guest patients.

Proactively managing staff schedule with ScheduleWise ensures productivity goals are met while providing sufficient coverage. When integrated with a payroll system, ScheduleWise provides a holistic view of how staffing hours are used in a clinic, comparing coverage needs to what was scheduled to what was performed.

Editor’s note: The Product Gallery represents a partial listing of new products and product updates released to the renal community in 2018. Nephrology News & Issues does not present this as a comprehensive review of every product or product update released in 2018. Additionally, inclusion in the Product Gallery does not imply endorsement or quid pro quo from Nephrology News & Issues. Booth numbers were provided when available from the company as of press time.