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Artificial Kidney Prize
Phase 1 Now Accepting Solutions
At ASN Kidney Week 2017, Bruce D. Greenstein, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Chief Technology Officer, highlighted the need for innovation in the nephrology space and announced HHS’ commitment to launch a Kidney Innovation Accelerator.
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The Kidney Innovation Accelerator (KidneyX) is a public-private partnership between the US Department of Health and Human Services and the American Society of Nephrology to accelerate innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases. KidneyX seeks to improve the lives of the 850 million people worldwide currently affected by kidney diseases by accelerating the development of drugs, devices, biologics and other therapies across the spectrum of kidney care including:
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Building off the success of similar public-private accelerators, KidneyX will engage a community of researchers, innovators, and investors to bring breakthrough therapies to patients by:
Driving patient access to disruptive technologies via competitive, non-dilutive funding to innovators.
Providing a clearer and less expensive path to bringing products to patients and their families.
Creating a sense of urgency by spotlighting the immediate needs of patients and their families.
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A typical in-center hemodialysis patient spends 12 hours a week attached to a machine
Source: Report to Congressional Requesters: National Institutes of Health – Kidney Disease Research Funding and Priority Setting; United States Government Accountability Office; December 2016.
Among patients ages 18-54 years old at the start of dialysis, 93% were classified as disabled
Source: Erickson K, et al. Employment among Patients Starting Dialysis in the United States. Clinc J. Am Soc Nephrol 13: 265-273, 2018.
Each year, more than 100,000 Americans begin hemodialysis as a result of kidney failure
Source: United States Renal Data System. 2017 USRDS annual data report: Epidemiology of kidney disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2017.
40 Million adult Americans are currently classified as having chronic kidney disease
Source: Report to Congressional Requesters: National Institutes of Health – Kidney Disease Research Funding and Priority Setting; United States Government Accountability Office; December 2016.
Every day 13 patients die waiting for a kidney transplant
Source: Mitchell K. For Transplant Patients, 'This is Your Statue of Liberty'. GW Magazine. http://magazine.gwu.edu/for-transplant-patients. Published December 2, 2016. Accessed March 2018.
Of Stage 4 CKD patients, 48% were unaware of their severe CKD
Source: United States Renal Data System. 2017 USRDS annual data report: Epidemiology of kidney disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2017.
African-Americans are 3.5x more likely to develop kidney failure
Source: Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/kidney-disease. Published December 2016. Accessed March 2018.
Hispanics are 1.5x more likely to develop kidney failure
Source: Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/kidney-disease. Published December 2016. Accessed March 2018.
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The U.S. Ambassador Joseph Cella hosted Pacific health officials and clinicians for a dialogue on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney disease. The conversation generated ideas and inspiration for new ways that the United States, Fiji, and other Pacific island countries can work together to overcome health challenges.
August 26, 2020
Timothy Bouré and his co-founder Geoffrey Lucks were both near broke when they moved to Dallas to join the first accelerator they entered after forming VenoStent, a company that aims to improve outcomes for dialysis patients.
August 9, 2020
The award will support them as they work full-time on a solution for safer at-home dialysis—an issue they'll meet with greater urgency as the coronavirus pandemic makes in-person treatment riskier
August 3, 2020
A major award could provide new hope to thousands of kidney patients in the U.S., and possibly, freedom from undergoing traditional dialysis.
August 1, 2020
The Center for Dialysis Innovation earns acclaim for a porous synthetic graft intended to make the blood-cleansing process safer and more reliable.
July 23, 2020
"Kidney diseases remain in the shadows but are common, debilitating, and burdensome on patients, their families, and the economy. Unless and until we drive investment and innovation and open the pathways to commercialization for new technologies and therapies, we will live with the status quo. We can no longer wait. KidneyX is the spark to catalyze change."
"We aim to "de-risk" innovation by streamlining processes, reducing regulatory barriers, and modernizing the way we pay for treatment. This is going to require innovation from outside the government. We plan to stimulate and accelerate innovation through a series of cash prize competitions"
"I am excited by the promise that KidneyX brings in developing innovative therapies to patients affected by kidney diseases. With the partnership and coordination between HHS and ASN, more and better ways are on the horizon for patients to manage their kidney disease - including artificial kidneys, biopharma products, and the like."
"For too long, innovation in the fight against kidney diseases has remained relatively stagnant when compared with other medical subspecialties. ASN is excited about the potential of KidneyX to catalyze research and development, remove barriers to innovation and commercialize therapies in the kidney space so that they become available to patients who desperately need them"
Want to Learn More?
Individuals that are interested in being part of the KidneyX solution are encouraged to contact KidneyX at kidneyx@asn-online.org to be placed on a mailing list.
Follow on Twitter: @Kidney_X
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