The FDA has accepted for review a diagnostic test from Abbott Laboratories which can detect neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a biomarker which indicates that a patient is at risk for acute kidney injury (AKI). Early detection of this risk will allow physicians to reduce their patients’ risk of AKI by taking preventative measures. The test was approved for use in the European Union last year.
From the press release:
Abbott’s test would be able to detect NGAL about two days earlier than the most widely used method for the detection of AKI, a serum creatinine blood test. A landmark study published in Annals of Internal Medicine in May 2008, reported that NGAL is a highly sensitive and specific test for differential diagnosis of AKI that helps distinguish acute injury from normal function and chronic kidney disease.
Studies show the incidence of AKI has risen 11 percent in recent years, prompting physicians to seek better ways to diagnose and treat this condition. In the United States, it is estimated that $10 billion per year is spent to treat AKI.
Press release: Abbott Submits Test to Aid in Identifying Patients at Risk of Developing Kidney Injury…
NOTE: This is the first post by our new editor Smit Shah. Smit is a a senior biomedical engineering student at The College of New Jersey. He will be attending Duke University’s Master of Engineering Management program starting in August.
