Business
Nuwellis to Advance Treatment of Critically-Ill Children and Babies Under $1.7 Million NIH Grant
Funds will Support Creation of Life-Saving Pediatric Fluid Management Product EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Aug. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Critically-ill children
About this update from Nuwellis, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Funds will Support Creation of Life-Saving Pediatric Fluid Management Product\nEDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Aug. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Critically-ill children and babies with kidney failure or who are dependent on artificial kidney support currently do not have enough therapeutic options. Nuwellis (Nasdaq: NUWE) plans to fill this unmet need with the development of a fully integrated pediatric continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) device designed to provide care for small babies and children. Nuwellis is a medical device company dedicated to transforming care for patients suffering from fluid imbalance. The new device will build on the existing technology of the company’s Aquadex SmartFlow® system, and will be funded in part by a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Nuwellis has partnered with Minneapolis-based research and development firm Koronis Biomedical Technologies Corporation (KBT), the grant recipient, to design and develop a custom pediatric product that will enable clinicians to better care for babies with limited kidney function. “Historically, providers who treat children face tremendous challenges as we try to adapt therapies designed for adults to small children,” said David Askenazi, MD, MSPH and director of the Pediatric and Infant Center for Acute Nephrology (PICAN) at Children’s of Alabama and University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Using Aquadex at Children’s of Alabama has enhanced the way we care for children as the small circuit improves how we treat our young patients. Now, with this grant, Nuwellis has the opportunity to create a machine that is a game-changer by addressing the additional unmet needs that we still face on a day-to-day basis.” CRRT machines are fluid management devices designed to aid or replace kidney function by removing excess fluid and toxins when the patient’s kidneys are unable to support the demands of the body. The new device will be designed to lower the potential complications, enhance the functionality of traditional CRRT machines, and incorporate technologies that are needed to address issues relevant to small children. Newborns who are born without sufficient kidney function need life-sustaining therapies until they are big enough for chronic dialysis machines. In addition, those who develop sudden temporary kidney failure will ultimately benefi...