EXTON, Pa.— Relative to a number of other conditions in nephrology, acute kidney injury (AKI), previously termed acute renal failure, is considered to be one of the areas of greatest need, according to a recent report from BioTrends.
The lack of currently available treatments, the high incidence and the high morality rates are key factors influencing the high perceived need, according to the findings.
There are a number of developments, either recent or on the horizon, that are expected to positively impact the field, including the development of biomarkers to earlier diagnose the condition, the availability of staging systems to better classify patients, as well as a number of treatments being studied to prevent or treat AKI, according to BioTrends.
There remains much controversy, however, as to the benefit of biomarkers and staging in clinical practice, outside of the research setting, according to the research company. Additionally, the appropriate focus of future development efforts for therapeutics for AKI (e.g. prevention versus treatment, sepsis versus cardiac surgery versus contrast nephropathy, etc.) is also an area of debate in the field. However, key opinion leaders tend to mention and express excitement about products in development from a number of companies including Allocure, Quark, and Thrasos.
The findings come from the report “TreatmentTrends, Acute Kidney Injury,” which is a syndicated annual report series, based on primary market research that provides a comprehensive view of the current and expected future management of AKI. The 2011 survey was fielded with 101 nephrologists, 50 critical care, and 50 emergency room physicians. Qualitative interviews were also conducted with 10 key opinion leaders in AKI. In addition to providing insight into management strategies, the report details challenges, controversies, greatest perceived needs, and development efforts in the field.
