PrognostX Health | A New Test to Identify Chronic Kidney Disease – A Costly and Silent Killer

The recent approval of the first ever drug to independently treat chronic kidney disease has made managing the condition more effective, significantly reducing progression to end-stage renal disease. With other new medications being developed, it is now more important than ever before to detect chronic kidney disease early. However, current diagnostic approaches require at least 90 days of follow-up doctor’s visits and repeat laboratory testing of patient samples.

To address this, Dr. Aaron Carrithers and Dr. Stephen Carrithers at PrognostX Health developed a new diagnostic technology to identify early-stage kidney disease with a single test. The technology, called ‘ConfirmCKD!’, is a simple immunoassay test that can be performed quickly and easily in the laboratory using a small blood sample.

The test takes advantage of a specific biomarker that circulates in the bloodstream in the early stages of chronic kidney disease – before a patient or high-risk individual has any symptoms and is at a stage where the disease can be treated and kidney function preserved. Biomarkers are molecules that indicate processes taking place in the body. In the case of ConfirmCKD!, the test looks for the presence of a specific biomarker produced by kidney cells.

Levels of the mature protein in the blood are normally low in healthy humans; however, when certain mechanisms of chronic kidney dysfunction occur, the level of this biomarker sharply increases before the patient loses significant kidney function. This rise can be detected and used to identify and treat patients with early-stage kidney disease.

The researchers have tested their technology in thousands of patient samples and validated their results in a 384-patient study, demonstrating a remarkable accuracy in correctly identifying those with chronic kidney disease from just one test. Stages 3 to 5 of kidney disease were diagnosed with an accuracy higher than 97%. This simple-to-use and effective test offers the potential to reduce the global burden of chronic kidney disease, overcoming many problems associated with the current standard of care.

By identifying patients at risk of developing end-stage renal disease, millions more can be effectively treated before it’s too late. The burden on patients and healthcare systems will be greatly reduced worldwide. PrognostX Health is in the business of putting dialysis out of business by getting one step ahead of chronic kidney disease.