LAUSANNE, VAUD, ZWITSERLAND, July 2, 2021
Nextkidney BV –announced today that they raised 6M EUR in the first funding round. Herewith the next step is taken in the realization of the first truly portable – plug and play – user friendly home hemodialysis device that, contrary to other Home dialysis equipment currently available or under development, only uses 4 liters of fluids and can be used anywhere. This funding round enables Nextkidney BV to make the prototype ready for clinical trials. Funds were raised by a French syndicate – led by Jerome Augustin – and founders Debiotech SA and Dutch Kidney Foundation.
The treatment of kidney failure is a growing issue in public health policies. It is one of the main sources of healthcare costs in our western societies with over $35 Bio spent in 2018 only in the United States, while there is an annual growth of 6% of kidney patients dependent on dialysis worldwide. Jérôme Augustin, Chief Executive Officer of Nextkidney BV: “The Dialysis market will even grow more in the years to come asking for a device that enables patients to perform their dialysis treatment any place at any time, not hampered by logistics of fluids or infrastructure, enabling patients to longer stay connected to social and professional lives”.
Prototype ready for clinical trials
This funding round enables Nextkidney BV, the recently founded Dutch parent company of Nextkidney SA at Lausanne, to make the prototype ready for clinical trials. “Currently we discuss with interested parties to fund Nextkidney through its clinical trials next year and market introduction early 2023”, according to John Stooker, Chief Financial Officer at Nextkidney BV.
A shift to homecare
A shift from hospital to homecare is strongly advocated by patients, desiring not only more individualized medical treatment but also seeking to significantly improve their quality of life. Consequences of COVID-19, making home treatment an imperative for many, underline the urgency of this shift. Currently available Home HD products require a significant amount of fluid (over 20L) for each treatment, either delivered at home with considerable logistical problems or generated through a bulky and non-transportable equipment. Thanks to an innovative single-use sorbent cartridge, only 4L of fluids will be needed for each session, making Neokidney® a true revolution in the Home Dialysis landscape.
Tom Oostrom, managing director of the Dutch Kidney Foundation and member of the Supervisory Board of NextKidney BV, sees the development of the portable hemodialysis cycler as a paradigm change. “Dialysis patients deserve to gain back control over their lives and in parallel society needs to see reduced pressure on worldwide health care systems ”.
It is in this context Nextkidney B.V. and its partners -Debiotech SA, Dialyss Pte Ltd and a collective of the Dutch Kidney Foundation and three major Dutch health care insurers – have been working over the last seven years on the Neokidney® with the mission of radically changing home hemodialysis by offering a really small, portable and easy to use solution, giving the patient back some of his or her freedom.
Frederic Neftel, MD, President of Debiotech SA and member of the Supervisory Board of Nextkidney BV,, comments on this important step for the company: “This first financial round is an essential driving force to bring a breakthrough alternative into the hands of patients in the best possible time. Thanks to a great team of experts, led by Jérôme Augustin, we have a great confidence in the future of Nextkidney and the Neokidney Product which will be the first one to really simplify the entire logistics at the patient’s home to make it more cost effective and available in all circumstances”.
About Nextkidney B.V.
Nextkidney’s mission is to develop and commercialize the Neokidney® home hemodialysis device, the real breakthrough in home hemodialysis. Placing the patient and his quality of life at the center of its approach, the company uses innovative technologies to offer a safe, practical and easy-to-use solution as quickly as and widely as possible throughout the world.
More information about Nextkidney B.V. and the Neokidney® can be found at www.nextkidney.com.