Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd (ASX: PIQ) reports research suggests testing for diabetic kidney disease with the PromarkerD prognostic blood test could save US payers almost US$400 billion over 10 years.
The company claims the ground-breaking PromarkerD test is the only test capable of predicting the onset of diabetic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Independent consultant Boston Healthcare Associates modelled the budget impact of using PromarkerD compared to the current standard of care, to proactively test for diabetic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes but who otherwise have no sign of kidney disease.
It found the test—developed by Proteomics International—could result in net savings to Medicare and commercial insurers of US$384 billion over 10 years.
There are 31 million adults with diabetes in the US. Instigating the simple test, set at US$150 for an annual testing regime, would cost US$8.9 billion annually, however, could produce savings of US$473 billion over ten years. Savings stem primarily from slowing the progression of diabetic kidney disease, followed by benefits from delaying or preventing dialysis and kidney transplants, and a reduction in dialysis crashes.
Proteomics International managing director Dr Richard Lipscombe said the research extends the initial modelling to emphasise the benefits of an early, accurate and cost-effective prognosis.
Testing patients with type 2 diabetes every 6-12 months with PromarkerD would enable early intervention for those at high-risk of developing diabetic kidney disease,” he says.
“This would decrease the need for expensive late-stage interventions, such as dialysis and kidney transplants. It would also assist in stratifying which patients would receive new DKD preventative therapeutic treatments. The potential benefits to the patient and the healthcare system are enormous.”
The PromarkerD test has received CE Mark registration and is currently available in Europe, with Proteomics International in advanced discussions to bring the test to the clinic in the US.
PromarkerD is a predictive test for the early detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type-2 diabetes. CKD is one of the major complications arising from diabetes and if unchecked can lead to dialysis or kidney transplant.
The patented PromarkerD test system uses a simple blood test to detect a unique ‘fingerprint’ of the early onset of disease by measuring three serum protein biomarkers, combined with three routinely available conventional clinical variables (age, HDL-cholesterol and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)).
In clinical studies published in leading journals PromarkerD correctly predicted 86% of otherwise healthy diabetics who went on to develop chronic kidney disease within four years. The PromarkerD immunoassay, the PromarkerD mass spectrometry assay, and the PromarkerD software hub have each achieved CE Mark registration in the European Union.
Proteomics International (Perth, Western Australia) is a wholly owned subsidiary and trading name of PILL (ASX: PIQ), a medical technology company at the forefront of predictive diagnostics and bio- analytical services.
