MADRID--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), a global innovator in renal care, highlighted new data on its novel HDx therapy enabled by the THERANOVA dialyzer at the 54th Congress of the European Renal Association and European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA), June 3-6. Data from two independent studies concluded that HDx, or expanded hemodialysis therapy, enabled by the THERANOVA dialyzer effectively removed small and mid-sized toxins at similar rates when compared to hemodiafiltration (HDF), another type of dialysis.

HDx therapy extends the range of molecules that can be filtered from the blood during dialysis, resulting in a filtration profile that more closely mimics the natural kidney.1 In addition to its clearance profile, HDx enabled by THERANOVA is as simple to perform as conventional hemodialysis (HD) and was designed to work with all HD machines. This allows clinics to offer HDx therapy using existing resources, and eliminates the need for special equipment and added clinic workflow, which is required for HDF. Additionally, HDF cannot be performed effectively for all patients.2

In the first study (Comparison of hemodialysis with medium cut-off dialyzer and on-line hemodiafiltration on the removal of small and middle size molecules, Abstract #MP530), Mohamed Belmouaz, M.D. and his colleagues at CHU Poitiers, Université de Poitiers in France, followed 10 patients over a 12-month period, with patients receiving HDF therapy for six months followed by treatment with HDx using a THERANOVA 500 dialyzer for six months. The study evaluated levels of urea, creatinine, beta-2m, and myoglobin in the blood, every two months. These four molecules build up in the blood as a result of kidney failure; HD is performed to filter toxins from the blood with the dialyzer acting as the artificial kidney.
The study concluded that HDx therapy was able to clear the four molecules to a similar extent as high-volume HDF treatment. In addition, the study authors found that albumin levels were maintained during HDx therapy and were similar to the HDF treatment period. Albumin is one of the most important proteins in the body, and a lower serum albumin level has been associated with mortality.3

“Based on our experience, we believe that treatment with the THERANOVA dialyzer is a good alternative to HDF treatment,” said Dr. Belmouaz. “We saw that HDx offers equivalent clearance of middle molecules coupled with the operational simplicity of using standard hemodialysis infrastructure, equipment, protocols and staffing. Additionally, some patients do not tolerate HDF treatment due to its requirements for ideal vascular access to deliver high blood flows.”

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