Editoria e Media
Global Kidney Innovation Summit Accelerates International Consortium
has accelerated engagement in an expanding international consortium of influencers, led by patient consumers and advocates, committed to a new era in kidney medicine marked by more inclusive clinical trials, greater use of patient insight data, personalized medicine, and disruptive technologies including artificial implantable and wearable kidneys. The patient-led consortium includes academic and medical researchers, clinical trial designers, innovators, capital market investors, companies, non-governmental and faith-based organizations, as well as elected and appointed government leaders across the globe. Kidney patients worldwide are demanding an end to outdated dialysis care, characterized by staggeringly high mortality rates, and greater access to new products and solutions aimed at detecting, preventing, and treating kidney diseases earlier and in ways that improve quality of life and decrease dependency and disease-related unemployment. They are also organizing and coordinating their policy and grassroots efforts in a sophisticated effort to advance more common sense regulatory and payment reforms that prioritize patient needs and fully support the timely entry of new, safe products into global consumer markets. Based on the ongoing success and rapidly expanding interest in , AAKP and GWU have already opened pre-registration for the May 2022 . All 2021 virtual presentations are available OnDemand through the and .
stated, "As a researcher in molecular biology and genetics, I seek to personalize medicine by genes and molecular pathways, but I think it is more important to personalize by patient needs. This, I believe, is the key take home message from and I am very proud of my colleagues across the globe who are actively incorporating the unique insights of kidney patients in their research and discovery of new therapies to prevent and treat the growing spread of kidney diseases."
provided a in which she praised kidney patients worldwide for their efforts to work alongside government leaders in the fight against kidney diseases. Further, Vautmans invited greater cooperation among elected leaders in the European Parliament and the U.S. Congress, especially among like-minded members of the U.S. Congressional Kidney Caucus, stating, "This battle is difficult. And I can speak from experience here, but […] change is possible […] but we can and have to act more. In Europe but also in the United States . I always say we need more awareness, more funding and more innovation. Today I want to add a fourth element and that is collaboration, because as we all are aware and all are witnessing, diseases know no borders. So, let's work together […]We share a common goal, on both sides of the Atlantic: We must further improve the lives of people with Kidney Disease!"
The 2021 included over 15 panels featuring over 40 patient and medical experts along with a menu 29 expert videos covering COVID-19 kidney-related issues, diversity in clinical trials, APOL-1 genetic research, diabetic kidney disease (DKD), nutrition, and telemedicine. Executives from top companies in the kidney space underscored the importance and value of patient insights in science, discovery, and the development of new drugs, devices, and diagnostics. Emphasizing the key role patients play in the new era of kidney medicine were leaders from Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Baxter International Inc., bioMérieux, CareDx, Inc., CSL Behringer, Novartis, and Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. They were joined by key policy and innovation leaders including Barbara L. Bass, MD, Vice President for Health Affairs, Dean of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and CEO of the GW Medical Faculty Associates ( USA ); Vivekanand Jha, MBBS, MD, DM, PHD, FRCP, FAMS; Executive Director, The George Institute for Global Health (AU) and President, International Society of Nephrology (IND); Fokko Wieringa, PhD, Principal Scientist, IMEC of The Netherlands and the Dutch Kidney Foundation (EU) and a member of The Kidney Health Initiative ( USA ); Murray Sheldon, MD, Associate Director for Technology and Innovations, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( USA ); Jack Kalavritinos, Founder and Principal, JK Consulting and member of the APCO Worldwide International Advisory Council and Health Advisory Board ( USA ).
, a former hemodialysis patient and 14-year kidney transplant recipient, stated, "Kidney disease is a devastating disease that is rapidly expanding and negatively impacting patients, families, and economies throughout the world. Future innovations in kidney medicine depend upon greater patient engagement through fully inclusive clinical trials and research, and the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences is an established global leader in this field. I thank Dean Dr. Barbara Bass , Dr. Dominic Raj , and our new European Union ally Hilde Vautmans for their deep respect for patients and their concerted efforts to unite patients, clinicians, and policy-makers in the fight against all kidney diseases." Knight ( ) is a former U.S. Congressional staff member and business consultant who serves on the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Advisory Council, and as the Co-Chair of the Community Engagement Committee for the Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP).
a former peritoneal dialysis patient and 24-year kidney transplant recipient, stated, "AAKP and our friend and ally Dr. Dominic Raj envisioned The Global Summit on Kidney Innovations as a unique international event aimed at accelerating cooperation among patients, researchers, clinicians, and policy professionals. Kidney patient consumers worldwide demand and deserve far greater care choice and are well aware of the value they bring as partners to pioneers developing the next generation of diagnostics, devices, and biologics. AAKP has expanded our collaborations with patient groups worldwide to advance innovation and to support all who share our sense of urgency and intent to transcend legislative, regulatory, and payment barriers that limit care choice and delay entry of new, safe treatments into the global consumer markets." Conway ( ) is a former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Labor and serves on the External Expert Panel of National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP), the American Board of Internal Medicine's Nephrology Specialty Board, and is a Patient Voice Editor for The Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
AAKP has formal partnerships with the multiple international kidney patient organizations including in support of , , and the growing international kidney innovation consortium, including: ; ; and . AAKP will be announcing multiple additional global partnerships throughout the remainder of 2021 and 2022. AAKP leaders and their global allies have carried the key messages of into other global forums, including the University of Washington's Center for Dialysis Innovation's recent IDEAS Summit, where Dr. Murray Sheldon of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conducted a presentation on the . Future presentations on the key learnings and messages of and the international kidney innovation consortium will be conducted at the September 24-25, 2021, and at the American Society of Nephrology's, 2021 , November 4-7 , the largest kidney professional conference in the world. Voices in support of AAKP's expanding global partnerships and international collaborations include:
Dr. Vivado Duran, a pediatrician and AAKP Global Ambassador, was diagnosed with kidney disease in 1979 during her second pregnancy. She was on hemodialysis for many years and in 2001, received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor, allowing her to continue working for patients, educating the community, and enjoying her family. She has been president of ASIR for four consecutive terms and does everything in gratitude to her anonymous kidney donor.
AAKP and GW SMHS thank their 2021 sponsors. Gold Level: Horizon Therapeutics and Travere Therapeutics; Silver Level: CareDx, Inc.; Patron Level: Hansa Biopharma and Sanofi Genzyme; and Supporting Level: AstraZeneca and Eurofins Transplant Genomics. Information on the 2022 is available at .
Since 1969, AAKP has been a patient-led organization driving policy discussions on kidney patient consumer care choice and treatment innovation. By 1973, AAKP patients had collaborated with the U.S. Congress and White House to establish dialysis coverage for any person suffering kidney failure, a U.S. taxpayer supported effort that has saved over one million lives. In 2018, AAKP established the largest U.S. kidney voter registration program, Over the past decade, AAKP patients have helped gain lifetime transplant drug coverage for kidney transplant recipients (2020); new patient-centered policies via the White House Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health (2019); new job protections for living organ donors from the U.S. Department of Labor (2018); and Congressional legislation allowing HIV positive organ transplants for HIV positive patients (2013). Follow AAKP on social media at on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram, and visit . The Global Summit on Kidney Disease Innovations is produced by AAKP's national strategic media partner, , which provides creative consulting and full-service media video production and post-production for corporations, non-profit organizations, individuals throughout the U.S., and several international locations.
Founded in 1824, the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation's capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation's capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national, and global communities. Visit their website at .
Jennifer Rate Marketing & Communications Manager
jrate@aakp.org
(813) 400-2394
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