Baxter, Satellite Healthcare Partner To Improve Patient Access To Latest Dialysis Technology
Baxter has signed a four-year agreement with Satellite Healthcare, a non-profit organization that provides kidney dialysis and other related services. Baxter’s latest technology in peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, and continuous renal replacement therapy will be incorporated into Satellite Healthcare’s service offerings for over 7,000 patients in the U.S.
Two products mentioned in the press release were the AMIA Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) system (which uses the patient’s abdominal cavity lining to filter waste) with Sharesource cloud technology, and the REVACLEAR dialyzer for hemodialysis (which uses a man-made filter). Satellite Healthcare intends to begin offering REVACLEAR technology in its 80 dialysis centers. AMIA will be incorporated into Satellite Healthcare’s recently launched Re-Imagine Home program, an initiative aimed at expanding patient access and convenience by moving dialysis into the home.
Baxter completed a study in June that demonstrated the perceived value of telemedicine among healthcare providers and industry stakeholders. Their results indicate that remote monitoring will improve the management of chronic disease by making it more efficient and affordable. In an earnings call in July, senior executives at Baxter commented that they would leverage these findings to further develop their acute renal therapies.
Through work educating the public and working with payers on reimbursement issues, Satellite Healthcare believes it can increase home-dialysis usage from 20 percent to 40 percent in its patient population.
“Our mission is to make life better for our kidney disease patients by offering a personalized care experience that is unlike any other,” said Satellite Healthcare CEO Rick Barnett in the press release.
A recent clinical study published by the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs Journal demonstrated that Baxter’s REVACLEAR dialyzer use was associated with approximately 100 to 600 fewer units of erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) drugs per session. These drugs are typically required to stimulate red blood cell production, and reducing their use makes hemodialysis sessions more cost-effective and reduces risk of side-effects.
“Baxter and Satellite Healthcare share a common goal to provide patients with a better dialysis experience,” said Giuseppe Accogli, corporate VP and president of Baxter Renal. “We are pleased to continue our relationship with an organization that is clearly leading the way and revolutionizing how kidney disease patients are cared for in the U.S.”
Related, Baxter recently began enrolling patients in a clinical study that will investigate its plans to move hemodialysis out of the clinic and into the home. The VIVIA system, which was co-developed with DEKA Research and Development Corporation, is integrated with Sharesource cloud technology and is intended to expand access to a broader population of end-stage renal disease patients.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, 661, 000 Americans suffer from Kidney failure and 468,000 are on dialysis. Over 26 million Americans suffer from kidney disease, but most cases go undiagnosed.