“For the first time in more than a decade, Baxter’s peritoneal dialysis growth rate is exceeding the overall ESRD market growth rate,” Alton Shader, general manager of the company’s U.S. renal business, wrote in an e-mail to DOTmed News.

The U.S. dialysis market grew 4.2 percent in 2009, according to ESRD Networks data.


Refurb demand abroad
Resellers of dialysis equipment overseas say both business and demand for dialysis equipment have been strong. Agito Medical, a Danish re-marketer of pre-owned medical and lab equipment, sold more than 300 used dialysis machines in the last 12 months.

“The units we sell are coming out of EU hospitals and they are typically in very good shape due to strict maintenance schemes enforced by law,” Anders Børsen Nielsen, the company’s director of operations, wrote in an e-mail to DOTmed News. “This allows us to provide our customers with supreme quality non-refurbished machines at about half the price of a refurbished machine.”

Jeff Ambrose, president of DiaMedical USA, says he receives numerous requests for dialysis equipment from countries like the Philippines, Nigeria and India. However, many regions are undercapitalized, facing severe financial barriers when it comes to acquiring the necessary equipment.

“The cost that we can provide below new OEM pricing is tremendous,” says Ambrose. “We can save 30 to 80 percent below OEM pricing and even with that, the cost of the shipping and getting the equipment to these countries makes it cost prohibitive for these potential providers.”

Refurbished equipment is in high demand abroad, but OEMs are still gaining the attention of many potential customers by being innovative with their upcoming offerings.

Latest from B. Braun and Gambro
The basics of dialysis technology are not prone to continuous change, but in the last couple of years, OEMs have introduced new products to enhance the quality and efficiency of the treatment.

In April, B. Braun Medical introduced Adimea to the U.S. market, a system for real-time dialysis measurement designed for use with the company’s Dialog+ Hemodialysis system.

“Adimea provides an actual measurement of dialysis adequacy or dialysis dose during the course of the treatment,” says B. Braun’s Amory. “This is a significant technological advance.”

The patient’s weight is the only parameter that needs to be entered to use Adimea, saving time for the provider. Real-time measurement of dialysis dose also enables physicians to adjust the treatment plan as necessary in order to meet the prescribed target, explains Amory.

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