Nephros, Inc. Receives the 2009 Frost & Sullivan Medical Device Patient Care Company of the ...(ties in the U.S. Nephros has begun selli...),Health

Legionella, a bacterium which causes Legionnaire's disease, can live in water and is often found in the plumbing systems of buildings such as hospitals, nursing and personal care facilities, ambulatory facilities, and medical and dental practices. Immuno-compromised patients, such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, HIV, organ transplant, dialysis and burn patients, are particularly at risk. The Nephros Protect! Kit for showers and sinks and the Nephros Prevent! Kit for in-line applications such as ice machines and clinical equipment, provide immediate risk mitigation. DSU filtration products are an effective solution which can provide immediate safety from water borne pathogens, including legionella and pseudomonas aeruginosa.

"Although the initial clinical target is ESRD and treatment for kidney failure, the extension into water filtration and creation of the hemodiafiltration module allows the company to develop its products horizontally, creating a marketable brand name," explains Venkat Rajan, Medical Devices Industry Manager, Frost & Sullivan.

Nephros has filed a 510k application for approval to market its DSU to dialysis clinics. Within these clinics, microbial and endotoxin contamination of the water treatment system used to prepare dialysate is an ongoing concern. Several studies have shown a reduction in many inflammation-related parameters, better nutritional indices, reduced beta-2-microglobulin levels, and improved anemia management achieved with less erythropoietin stimulating agents when hemodialysis patients are treated with ultrapure dialysate, in comparison with standard dialysate.

Studies have lauded the efficacy of hemodiafiltration (HDF) in renal blood purification. In contrast to current HDF methods used
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