Renal Solutions Announces Collaborative Agreement with Innovative BioTherapies
-- Data Will Provide Due Diligence Necessary for Future Development of a Wearable Renal Replacement Device --
WARRENDALE, PA August 27, 2007 – Renal Solutions, Inc., the exclusive provider of Advanced Sorbent Therapy™ products and services for the treatment of chronic and acute renal failure, announces the signing of a collaborative agreement with Innovative BioTherapies, Inc. (IBT) and the University of Michigan for development of a wearable renal replacement device.
Through the terms of the agreement, Renal Solutions and David Humes, M.D. of IBT will explore the ways that sorbent therapy from Renal Solutions, which uses just six liters of drinking water to deliver a full dialysis treatment, can be combined with the stem cell technologies of Innovative BioTherapies and the University of Michigan to ultimately develop a highly portable, wearable device for renal replacement. This exploration will allow for IBT to use the Allient® Sorbent Hemodialysis System for evaluating the effectiveness of providing continuous dialytic therapy. Using animal models, the collaboration will further evaluate the metabolic consequences of a renal tubule cell device, including measurement of inflammatory response. The data resulting from these studies will greatly assist both companies in moving forward with plans for a wearable renal replacement device.
“We are very pleased to be working with Dr. Humes to combine the benefits of sorbent therapy with the exciting possibilities of the bioartificial kidney,” said Peter M. DeComo, Chairman and CEO of Renal Solutions. “The convergence of sorbent technology’s ability to use small amounts of drinking water with the breakthrough technology provided by living renal cells presents exciting possibilities for the miniaturization and development of a portable, wearable device,” Mr. DeComo stated.
“Cell-based therapies show tremendous potential for revolutionizing renal replacement therapy,” said Dr. Humes, President of IBT and professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. “The low water requirement of RSI’s dialysis technology combined with renal cells makes the prospect of a portable, wearable bioartificial kidney for full renal replacement therapy feasible,” he added.
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