Beckman Coulter Offers Point-of-Care Test to Aid in Early Identification of Kidney Diseases.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2003 Early Treatment Shown to Delay, Halt, and in Some Cases, Reverse Kidney Disease Beckman Coulter, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :BEC) has announced the release of ICON(R) microALB, a point-of-care test that detects low levels of albumin, the earliest indicator of diabetic or hypertensive nephropathy (kidney disease). Adding to Beckman Coulter's extensive point-of-care test portfolio, ICON microALB will be available June 2003. ICON microALB is a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA CLIA Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 Congressional legislation that promulgated quality assurance practices in clinical labs, and required them to measure performance at each step of the testing process from the beginning to the end-point of a )-waived, one-step rapid test designed to deliver fast, reliable results for the qualitative detection of microalbumin in urine. The test provides results in 3 minutes and is readable for up to 8 hours. ICON(R) microALB can be stored at room temperature, is individually wrapped, and has a shelf life that is among the longest in the industry. The National Kidney Foundation Not to be confused with American Kidney Fund. The National Kidney Foundation, Inc. (NKF) is a major voluntary health organization in the United States. Its mission is to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of individuals and has stated more than 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also know as chronic renal disease, is a progressive loss of renal function over a period of months or years through five stages. Each stage is a progression through an abnormally low and progressively worse glomerular filtration rate, which is and more than 20 million others are at increased risk. In addition, they have indicated that kidney disease is one of the costliest illnesses in the United States today. If detected early, kidney disease can be effectively treated and in some cases reversed. "Kidney failure is in epidemic proportions and the only long-term solution is prevention," said Richard McCauley, M.D., an internist at La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma Intercommunity Hospital (LPH) is an 141 bed acute care facility in La Palma, California, USA. LPH is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. (PHS), a hospital management company located in Victorville. PHS was founded in 2001 by Prem Reddy, M.D., F.A.C. in La Palma, Calif., and medical research expert for Beckman Coulter's primary care diagnostics. "Until now, there was no simple, inexpensive test available to detect kidney disease at its earliest treatable state. Through annual screening, healthcare professionals have the potential ability to save thousands of lives," McCauley said. Annual albumin screening for at-risk patients is recommended by the National Kidney Foundation and is one of the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is a widely used set of performance measures in the managed care industry, developed and maintained by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. (HEDIS HEDIS Health Plan Employer Data & Information Set Managed care An initiative by the National Committee on Quality Assurance to develop, collect, standardize, and report measures of health plan performances. ) measures set forth by the National Committee for Quality Assurance National Committee for Quality Assurance Medical practice A private, not-for-profit organization which has become the leading accreditor of managed care plans; in site visits, NCQA reviewers evaluate a managed care plan in terms of quality management, physicians' (NCQA NCQA National Committee on Quality Assurance, see there ) and used nationwide to rate managed care companies and other health insurance providers. By initiating annual screening with ICON microALB, healthcare providers can raise HEDIS scores. "Screening for microalbumin, or what HEDIS refers to as Comprehensive Diabetes Care, has been one of the lowest HEDIS measure performers among healthcare professionals," said McCauley. "Of the 40 million patients at-risk for kidney disease, only a small fraction are currently being screened. We're hoping that the ease and availability of ICON microALB will positively impact that number." Beckman Coulter, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of instrument systems, chemistries and supplies that simplify and automate laboratory processes. At the forefront of medical discovery in clinical research and through the often life-saving process of clinical diagnostics, Beckman Coulter's 200,000 installed systems provide essential biomedical intelligence to enhance health care around the world. The company, based in Fullerton, Calif., reported 2002 annual sales of $2.06 billion with 62 percent of this amount generated by recurring revenue from supplies, test kits and services. For more information, visit www.beckmancoulter.com. |
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