Astute Medical, Inc. Previews AKI & CRRT 2015 Conference

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Astute Medical, Inc., developer of the NephroCheck^® Test, today previewed the upcoming AKI & CRRT 2015 conference to be held in San Diego from February 17 to February 20. Attended by global leaders in the fields of nephrology and acute kidney injury, AKI & CRRT 2015 is one of the most influential forums in the fields of critical care nephrology and continuous renal replacement therapy (dialysis).

"This year's focus on new paradigms for acute kidney injury (AKI) suggests that the medical community may be turning the corner toward better identification and management of this serious condition," said Paul McPherson, Astute Medical co-founder and chief scientific officer. "Among the highlighted advances is novel biomarker technology that can alert physicians to risk for AKI and may also have prognostic value."

Astute Medical's NephroCheck^® Test is a biomarker-based immunoassay that detects the presence of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth-factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7) to aid in risk assessment for moderate to severe AKI. The NephroCheck^® Test is not cleared for prognostic use.

Among the featured events is a symposium, "Improving Outcomes in AKI: How do Biomarkers Fit In?" led by an international panel of nephrology and critical care experts, who will present results from recent clinical studies evaluating biomarkers of AKI. The event, supported in part by an educational grant from Astute Medical, is open to conference attendees.

Additionally, as part of the scientific program investigators will present the following abstracts reviewing new data on the performance of TIMP-2 and IGFBP-7 in regards to AKI risk stratification and prediction of risk for AKI:

• Cell cycle arrest biomarkers accurately predict acute kidney injury in cardiothoracic surgery patients
• Fluid Overload and Elevated Cell Cycle Arrest Biomarkers Independently Predict Death or Renal Replacement Therapy Following Acute Kidney Injury
• Common chronic comorbid conditions do not affect performance of cell cycle arrest biomarkers for risk stratification of acute kidney injury

AKI is an increasingly common complication in hospitalized individuals,¹ and has been linked to a doubling in length of stay, cost and readmissions.^2,3,4 Until now, the diagnostic protocol for AKI has largely relied on biomarkers that have been in clinical use for more than 50 years, but are insensitive and slow to change after kidney injury, often leading to a late and inaccurate diagnosis of AKI with resulting adverse outcomes.¹ The guidelines published by the foundation "Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes" (KDIGO) recommend that patients be assessed for risk of AKI to protect their kidney function.⁵

Additional information on AKI & CRRT 2015 can be found at crrtonline.com/conference/.

Important Information About The NephroCheck^® Test System
The NephroCheck^® Test System is intended to be used in conjunction with clinical evaluation in patients who currently have or have had within the past 24 hours acute cardiovascular and or respiratory compromise and are ICU patients as an aid in the risk assessment for moderate or severe AKI within 12 hours of patient assessment. The NephroCheck^® Test System is intended to be used in patients 21 years of age or older.

The NephroCheck^® Test System consists of the Astute140^® Meter, NephroCheck^® Test Kit, NephroCheck^® Liquid Controls Kit, and NephroCheck^® Calibration Verification (Cal Vers) Kit.

About Astute Medical, Inc.
Selected to the 2014 Fierce 15 by Fierce Medical Devices, Astute Medical is dedicated to improving the diagnosis of high-risk medical conditions and diseases through the identification and validation of protein biomarkers that can serve as the basis for novel diagnostic tests.

The Company's focus is community- and hospital-acquired acute conditions that require rapid diagnosis and risk assessment. Astute Medical's current areas of interest include abdominal pain, acute coronary syndromes, cerebrovascular injury, kidney injury and sepsis. Astute Medical is a sponsor of 0by25, a human rights initiative aimed at eliminating preventable and treatable deaths from AKI worldwide by 2025.

For additional information, please visit AstuteMedical.com.

Astute Medical, Inc., Astute Medical^®, the AM logo, Astute140^®, NephroCheck^® and the NephroCheck^® logo are registered trademarks of Astute Medical, Inc. in the United States. AKIRisk™ is a trademark of Astute Medical, Inc. For information regarding trademarks and other intellectual property applicable to this product, including international trademarks, please see AstuteMedical.com/US/About/IntellectualProperty. PN0437 Rev A 2015/02/11

¹ McCullough PA et al. Diagnosis of acute kidney injury using functional and injury biomarkers: workgroup statements from the tenth Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative Consensus Conference. Contrib Nephrol. 2013;182:13-29.
² Hobson CE, Ozrazgat-Baslanti T, Kuxhausen A. Cost and Mortality Associated With Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury. Annals of Surgery. 2014;00:1–8. 
³ Dasta JF, Kane-Gill SL, Durtschi AJ, Pathak DS, and Kellum JA. Costs and outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) following cardiac surgery. Nephrol. Dial. Transplant. 2008;23:1970-1974. 
⁴ Brown JR, Parikh CR, Ross CS, et al. Impact of perioperative acute kidney injury as a severity index for thirty-day readmission after cardiac surgery. Ann Thorac Surg. 2014;97(1):111-7. 
⁵ Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. KDIGO 2012 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease. Kidney Inter., Suppl. 2012; 3:1-150.

SOURCE Astute Medical, Inc.

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