The Artificial Kidney Successfully Complete... - Kidney Disease

Kidney Disease

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The Artificial Kidney Successfully Completes PreClinical Trials. Needs Additional Funding to begin Stage 1 FDA trials.

Blackknight1989 profile image
23 Replies

September 9, 2021 the artificial kidney successfully implanted and worked in preclinical trials. Needs more funding but ready to start FDA trials. Could be ready for approval in 2/3 years if funded. This is truly exciting news. Here is the link:

pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2021...

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Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989
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23 Replies
Marvin8 profile image
Marvin8

Needs more funding? Seriously? As if they couldn't find a million venture capitalists and are forced to start a Kick Start or GoFundMe page? :D

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989 in reply to Marvin8

Lol Marvin you never disappoint me with your wit and give me a good chuckle! They did receive a 1M grant today so maybe that’ll kick start the process!

Marvin8 profile image
Marvin8 in reply to Blackknight1989

I give you a good chuckle?

Are you saying I'm funny? Funny like a clown? Like I'm here to amuse you?

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989

Well maybe not SPECIFICALLY to amuse me. Nonetheless you seem to more often than not, so there is that…yea!

RhenDutchess123 profile image
RhenDutchess123 in reply to Blackknight1989

Thats great news...it takes years of Research and Funding to get things like these off the ground...but it sure would be a game changer for Kidney Disease Treatment...

Darlenia profile image
Darlenia

Thank you! This is an amazing undertaking - if successful, the device can be given to everyone, including the thousands and thousands of people who were denied transplants. And no immunosuppressants needed! According to a media interview this year, the researchers and bioengineers hope to move it into clinical trials within 3 to 4 years if proper funding surfaces. Apparently the NIH supports them, but most of their monies come from private organizations and donors. I actually listed my husband with them as a future candidate a couple of years ago.

Tissybell profile image
Tissybell in reply to Darlenia

III did not know that was possible! How can someone sign up?

Darlenia profile image
Darlenia in reply to Tissybell

It sure is! Researching and digging up information is my gig! We've not heard anything from them but assume they'll let us know when the device is available for those wanting it sooner than later. Click on the link (it's part of their website) and then scroll down to Question #28 and feel free to enroll. One can always say "no" if you have reservations later on, right? pharm.ucsf.edu/kidney/devic...

Tissybell profile image
Tissybell in reply to Darlenia

Thank s for your dedicated research and sharing! This so exciting! And no anti-inflammatory rejection drugs!

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989

Darlenia, thanks for the additional information. If those of us who are close stage 5 can hold on just 5/6 more years, hopefully, we can avoid the really somewhat barbaric final two stages of this insidious disease, as you are all too familiar with. I’m am sure you know the statistics as well for someone like me who suffers from life long issue like high cholesterol/triglycerides diagnosed at age 23, HBP diagnosed at age 17, poly-osteoarthritis diagnosed at 29, CKD at 29 followed shortly by AKI and a fight just to live to get out of the hospital much less to be blessed with these additional 26, so far, years. The statistics to avoid a life-ending CVD event in the first 6 months of dialysis.

If this or the other projects in the works though KidneyX or the KHI such as xenotransplantation moves to approval with the same type of speed that these projects have developed so far it offers patients like me and there are several as well as a huge amount of folks much worse than me as the example, true hope of avoiding what we know is our slim chance to survive or lead any kind of meaningful life should we be faced with the decision of dialysis or hospice. It is the first real solid hope for millions of us and they seem committed to make significant stride at breakneck speed!

FYI the actual project websites of both KidneyX and KHI can be found on the ASN website. I’ll post the links in another post, as I have about 8 windows of this site currently open on my browser, and if I leave now I’ll lose my whole post! I hate technology I have no idea why I have so many open windows I don’t think I would have done that on purpose. So links to follow below. Thanks again ma’am!

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989

Links as follows:

KidneyX: kidneyx.org/pages/events.aspx

KHI

khi.asn-online.org/projects/

Darlenia profile image
Darlenia in reply to Blackknight1989

Thank you, Blackknight1989. Completely agree! Crossing my fingers and sending up prayers that research moves full speed ahead to help not just a few but everyone with life threatening kidney issues. May it happen in our lifetime!

RhenDutchess123 profile image
RhenDutchess123 in reply to Darlenia

I keep hoping some Big Name...like Elon Musk...would pick up this project and help them finish getting it over the finish line...thats really what it needs

kellyscats1 profile image
kellyscats1

Reality check...30 years ago my son ws diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.. at age 21.. Was told that SOON they would have an artificial pancreas that would enable those to give up the isnulin... still waiting..now witing for what they call Smart insulin that only reacts when he blood sugar is low there by reducing to one shot a day with no hypoglycemic risks. anyone asking for money on go fund me is a big red flag...

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989

to the doubters…just go look at the two websites that I posted. Not only is this going to, in fact it has already been funded or at least enough to apply to FDA for phase 1 trials. Also, not a fair comparison as kidney transplants are common and have been around a while. A kidney transplant has high success rates and relatively low rejection rates. Pancreas replacements are new not really elective and have terrible rejection rates and side effects. CKD is easier to treat then diabetes because of the RELATIVE ease of the transplant of the organ and the success of that treatment compared to diabetes and the pancreas.

For a lot of years CKD was completely ignored but the government and Big Pharma are pumping money for advancements because of the work of agencies like NKF and AAKP.

These same two agencies are also working on transplanting pig organ or xenotransplantation and stem cell therapies along with several other initiatives. In fact today they KidneyX just announced this years prize for the winner of the best new “artificial” kidney. It’s 10.5 million bucks so funding won’t be the problem.

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989

Here is the link for the prize. I forgot to post.

healio.com/news/nephrology/...

I have my doubts that this will actually happen. There is way too much money being made by Davita, Fresenius , and Baxter to let this happen. And if it does complete trials, the cost will probably be out of reach for most people. We in the US would need to see if Medicare would pick up the costs. It's a shame that big business has the power to squelch progressive technology just like big pharma keeps the prices of drugs so high. It's all about the money.

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989

it has already happened. Baxter has FDA approval for a sort of half way device. The group I posted originally about was issued a patent in May and has funding now to go to FDA trials. Did you go look at the links I posted. This is huge money in fact CKD got more than the cardiologist last year. Also, if developed by the private/public partnership between the US government and big pharma I feel confident that much like the COVID vaccine the government run insurances will pay. If you read the article and watch the video of the one I posted about it is a relatively simple device and he addresses the cost issue as one in line with other comparable devices on the market. Time have changed for CKD innovations!

Don't hold your breath. The 3 companies I mentioned make billions on dialysis so having a device that can easily be transplanted and kill the need for dialysis isn't going to happen. I agree that it's a wonderful technology just like many others that have been developed and rejected because of the impact it would have on big business. I myself was on dialysis but thank the Lord my kidneys recovered enough to come off dialysis. During that time though, I read about the artificial kidney and thought it was a marvelous breakthrough and had high hopes. I'm not trying to be a negative Nellie, I'm just looking at the impact. I hope it comes to fruition and CKD becomes less scary.

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989

Too much money and influence behind this and and while I generally share your cynicism in most things the innovations coming are going to change the lives of even those of us in stage 4 currently. Dialysis won’t be replaced as you know all of us are different so while this will help many the one innovation won’t be enough to put the dialysis industry out of business. But come on it’s been the ultimate and only “treatment” for years and that is a travesty that something that would more than likely end my life as opposed to prolong it due to all the CVD increased risk. I wasn’t planning on the dialysis look like I may get a choice now!

RhenDutchess123 profile image
RhenDutchess123

I have been watching this for awhile and I see it comming into realization alot sooner than alot think...I have been on PD for almost 2 years , and I am very happy with my Dialysis Treatment...the Transplant Route has never appealed to me, mostly because of the endless testing and the waiting...and even after recieving a Transplant doesnt mean an end to your problems, it just changes what the problems are...But I would jump in line for artificial kidney in a heartbeat...

I want a pink one..

Blackknight1989 profile image
Blackknight1989

Rhen what a positive attitude! You nailed it as well maybe your problems just change after transplants. Anyway, I agree there is so much money behind this and a real push to finally bring 1-2 treatment options for our disease besides the 1960s technology of huge ports and removing an individual blood 3/4 days a week! I hope between the 2-3 in various started of pre-FDA testing and the yearly KidneyX competition. I think the government will force the dialysis companies for exactly the reasons LL argues these won’t ever come to fruition. There is a reason Congress has allocated almost 500 million to all things kidney sine 2010. It is more cost effective to fund things like KidneyX and KHI to replace dialysis and transplant because the huge cost to Medicare/Medicaid. There are several studies in the NJM of the cost effectiveness studies for the government in 2012/2014. So I think the dialysis companies will need to adapt improvise and overcome!

RhenDutchess123 profile image
RhenDutchess123 in reply to Blackknight1989

Although I am glad to see the Congress finally opening an ear to Kidney Disease...I still feel that Big Pharma who Donates Big Money to Politicians is too lucrative for Congress to do much.....The money that this will save Medicare will be substantial and can be better spent on other disease. .. .I believe that Private Sector Money is where the chance of this breakthrough will come from...and in a much more effective and timely manner...From what i have read the biggest setback for the Artificial Kidney was blood clots but they apparently found a coating to put on them that stops that...there will still be a need to replace EPO and other minerals that Native Kidneys produce ..but thats certainly doable....we are living in exciting times !!

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