RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
We place great importance on research and development at Fresenius, where we develop products and therapies for severely and chronically ill patients. High quality is crucial for providing patients with optimal care, improving their quality of life, and thus increasing their life expectancy. As an integral part of our corporate strategy, research and development also serves to secure the Company’s economic growth and success.
DIALYSIS
Research and development at Fresenius Medical Care is focused on products and therapies for dialysis and other extracorporeal blood therapies. The company benefits from its vertical integration, covering both dialysis products and dialysis care. The daily experience we gain from treating around 184,086 patients provides important insights for the development of new products and therapies, and is therefore of enormous value. It also fosters the development of holistic therapies.
Hemodialysis
A main focus of our development work in 2008 was on online hemodiafiltration (Online-HDF) and the 5008S hemodialysis machine. With the development of the 5008 therapy system,we have upgraded Online-HDF from an exclusive technology for just a few users into a standard feature included in the basic version of the machine. The liquid required for the hemodiafiltration process – a sterile and pyrogen-free dialysis solution – is now produced from standard bicarbonate dialysate in the machine itself while it is running – hence the name “Online- HDF”. There are no bags of liquid to be changed. In 2008, we launched the 5008S hemodialysis machine, a further development of the 5008 therapy system, on the European market. Its operation has been simplified and improved, and further safety and control mechanisms have been added. For instance, the flow rate of the dialysate is automatically adjusted to the dialysis patient’s individual blood flow rate. We expect the 5008S dialysis system, which can be operated intuitively, to help establish Online-HDF worldwide in kidney replacement therapy. We will continue to use the 5008 therapy system as a platform for further improving our products and adding new features.
The Body Composition Monitor (BCM) was introduced on the market in 2007. The BCM is a device that can be used to determine the dialysis patient’s body composition, i.e. body water, fat-free body mass, and fat. Exact knowledge of this data, especially the percentage of body water, is important for assessing the patient’s condition and deciding on the therapy. As the BCM is not yet a standard medical device, Fresenius Medical Care is cooperating closely with clinical experts who report on their experience with the BCM at clinics after introducing the device. The findings will provide important guidance for our customer service’s consulting work. The BCM and its further development will continue to be a focus of our development work in future.
With the acquisition of the U.S. company Renal Solutions, Inc. (RSI) in 2007, an important step forward was made in integrating radically new functionalities in medical devices. RSI is an internationally renowned specialist in the field of dialysate regeneration using enzyme-based sorbent systems. RSI’s SORB technology enables ordinary tap water to be prepared for dialysis, and for the dialysis solution to be reused. Only six liters of tap water are required per dialysis treatment, instead of the approximately 120 liters of ultra-pure water from reverse osmosis systems previously. In addition to ecological and financial considerations, this technology also allows a substantial reduction in the size of the dialysis machines. An aspect of this technology of particular interest to us is that it points to possibilities for selective toxin removal from the patient’s blood. In the coming years we will be focusing on the development of further innovative solutions for home dialysis.
