Baxter partners to bring at-home dialysis to more patients

Baxter is teaming up with dialysis care provider Satellite Healthcare to make advanced care available to more patients in the U.S.

Announced Friday, the four-year deal will see Satellite Healthcare providing Baxter’s automated peritoneal dialysis system to patients and integrate the company’s high-flux dialyzer into its hemodialysis offerings, according to a statement. Satellite provides dialysis at traditional dialysis centers, and also has home dialysis centers where patients are trained to perform their treatments at home. Other details were not disclosed.

The AMIA Automated Peritoneal Dialysis system has patient-focused features to facilitate home dialysis, such as voice guidance. It includes Baxter’s cloud-based telemedicine platform, Sharesource, through which clinicians can monitor and manage their home dialysis patients, according to the company. Baxter’s Revaclear high-flux dialyzer consists of a three-layer polyarylethersulfone membrane and is indicated for the treatment of chronic and acute renal failure.

Satellite also launched Re-Imagine Home, a push to raise awareness of home dialysis and to increase its home dialysis patient population from 20% to 40%. “AMIA, Baxter’s new technology, is a foundational tool for Satellite Healthcare in reaching our Re-Imagine Home goal to make home dialysis an accessible and effective modality option for more dialysis patients,” said Satellite CEO Rick Barnett, in the statement.

Home dialysis is also a priority for Baxter since it spun off its therapeutics-based Baxalta last year. In May, CEO José Almeida noted that only 13% of dialysis patients are treated at home, but that number should be at least 40%.

- here's the statement