New Frontiers in Medicine
The field of cardiorenal disease encompasses a broad range of interrelated cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic problems. A cardiorenal disease involves dysfunction of both the kidney and cardiovascular systems. From a strict scientific point of view, it is now recognized that cardiovascular and kidney diseases are inseparable. In fact oxidative stress and malfunction of blood-vessel lining (endothelial dysfunction) are common to both. This finding could help millions of sufferers worldwide.
What is CKD?
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by loss of kidney function, evidenced by an elevated serum creatinine level and/or increased protein loss in the urine. It is largely undetected but truly epidemic in scope. There are an estimated 20 million U.S. adults with CKD and 20 million more at risk. Furthermore, it's a silent killer because most patients with CKD don't know they have it and they are more likely to die from accelerated cardiovascular disease than to go on to dialysis.
Cardiorenal diseases arise from an imbalance in the body. Like cardiovascular diseases, the most common causes of CKD include hypertension and diabetes.
We believe that excess labile (free) iron plays a causative role in acute kidney injury and the progression of CKD. Our therapeutic goals will be to prevent/reduce acute kidney injury and delay or prevent progression of CKD.
What is ‘End-Stage' CKD?
CKD patients with insufficient remaining kidney function are said to have end-stage renal disease. These patients need some form of chronic dialysis. In the U.S., more than 90 percent of patients requiring chronic dialysis receive hemodialysis (HD) - a procedure that requires vascular access allowing for a high rate of blood flow through a dialysis machine three times a week.
Patients undergoing hemodialysis require access to the vascular system in order to perform treatments on a multiple scheduled basis each week. According to a U.S. Renal Data System 2008 Annual Data Report, approximately 80,000 hemodialysis patients relied on a central venous catheter (CVC) in 2008.
There is a significant unmet need for prevention of catheter-related blood stream infections in the hemodialysis patient population.