Toxin Reduction for Chronic Renal Disease

A new device is designed improve therapy for chronic renal disease in combination with high-flux hemodialysis.

The device, called BetaSorb, employs proprietary adsorbent polymer technology to reduce pre-dialysis levels of uremic toxins. A second human clinical study is now underway in Vicenza, Italy, to assess the safety and efficacy of the device with repeated use in dialysis sessions over a three-week period, during which patients will be treated for nine consecutive sessions. In addition, investigators are measuring and analyzing the kinetics of beta-2 microglobulin removal. Beta-2 microglobulin is a marker toxin for the middle molecular weight class of uremic toxins. An earlier study demonstrated device safety and efficacy in single dialysis sessions.

Other middle molecular weight toxins under investigation in the study include a number of immunotoxins recently described by Professor Walter Horl at the University of Vienna (Austria). Dr. Horl and his team will be evaluating the impact of the BetaSorb device on these substances. This kinetics data will be the first information in the literature on reduction in the levels of this group of proteins, according to RenalTech International (New York, NY, USA), the developer of BetaSorb.




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