WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS
Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced a new initiative focused on
chronic kidney disease and dialysis, which builds upon the
company's focus on driving innovation in the management of chronic
disease to help improve patient health outcomes while managing
costs. This new program will focus on early identification of
kidney disease and expansion of home dialysis in order to optimize
care for patients with chronic kidney disease. CVS Health's unique
enterprise assets along with the company's introduction of a truly
innovative new home hemodialysis technology, position the company
as a positive disruptor in the field with the ability to help
reshape and redefine the kidney care space.
"In dialysis today, there is an enormous unmet medical need with
high levels of mortality, frequent hospitalizations and poor
quality of life for affected patients," said Alan Lotvin, M.D., executive vice president and
head of CVS Specialty. "As we explored this area it became clear
that our enterprise assets – from our experience with complex
patient home care through Coram, the breadth of our chronic disease
management capabilities with CVS Specialty and Accordant, and our
deep payor relationships at CVS Caremark – will enable us to create
a unique value proposition to help reshape dialysis treatment."
CVS Health will be approaching this new initiative in a staged
approach with phases focused on early disease identification and
patient education, followed by the development of a comprehensive
home dialysis program, for both hemodialysis and peritoneal
dialysis. As part of the home dialysis program, CVS Health will be
initiating a pivotal clinical trial to demonstrate the safety and
efficacy of a new home hemodialysis device in support of a planned
FDA submission to obtain market clearance. The device has been
designed with features intended to make home hemodialysis simple
and safe for patients, in order to facilitate longer, more frequent
treatments. In published clinical research, longer, more frequent
hemodialysis treatments lead to better outcomes in appropriate
patient populations.
"Diagnosing kidney disease early is the only way to prevent
kidney failure and cardiovascular complications," said Joseph Vassalotti, M.D., chief medical officer,
National Kidney Foundation and a board-certified nephrologist.
"There is an urgent need to increase patient awareness of not only
the disease itself but also of the treatment options available
for both early and chronic kidney failure
or end-stage renal disease. Many patients believe
in-center dialysis is their only kidney failure treatment choice,
and do not know about patient-centered options, including home
dialysis or kidney transplant," added Dr. Vassalotti.
"While in-center dialysis clinics are currently the most common
choice for hemodialysis treatment, published clinical research has
shown improved cardiac health, metabolic control, and survival for
patients who are treated with longer, more frequent dialysis
treatments. This treatment paradigm is best delivered in the
convenience of a patient's home," said Bruce Culleton, M.D., vice president and chief
medical officer, CVS Specialty. "CVS Health is uniquely positioned
to build a solution that will enable us to identify and intervene
earlier with patients to optimize the management of chronic kidney
disease, while at the same time making home dialysis therapies a
real option for more patients."
Nearly 700,000 Americans have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD),
with close to 500,000 of these patients on active dialysis and more
than 120,000 new ESRD cases diagnosed each year. Financially, this
disease represents a huge cost burden, costing Medicare nearly
$65 billion a year for chronic kidney
disease care, and another $34 billion
directly related to dialysis patient care. Despite this high level
of spending, outcomes for Medicare patients treated with
traditional in-center hemodialysis, for example, are poor with
mortality rates up to 10 times higher than among the general
Medicare population.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation
company helping people on their path to better health. Through its
more than 9,800 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical
clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 94
million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business
serving more than one million patients per year, expanding
specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare
Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people,
businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and
effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to
quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall
health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is
shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.
Investor
Contact:
Media Contact:
Mike McGuire
Christine
Cramer
(401)
770-4050
(401) 770-3317
michael.mcguire@cvshealth.com
christine.cramer@cvshealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health