Our portfolio company Opterion Health AG seeks to enhance the quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and their loved ones, and to increase survival rates of ESRD patients. They launched their new website at the beginning of the year and have very exciting plans for 2021!
Chronic kidney disease is the progressive loss of kidney function. When it reaches an advanced state, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) appears. During ESRD, the kidneys can no longer function as they should to fulfill the body’s needs. Our kidneys are a very important filter of wastes, excess fluids, and electrolytes for our body. When they no longer have filtering capabilities, dangerous levels of these substances are accumulated. Patients with ESRD need regular dialysis or a kidney transplant to remain alive. However, the kidney transplant process takes time because it includes finding a donor and a suitable kidney – besides, kidney donors are limited. Therefore, most patients must undergo dialysis treatment.
Currently, two dialysis options exist: Hemodialysis (HD) and Peritoneal Dialysis (PD). Although PD has some survival advantage during the first three years, both dialysis therapies have significant side effects. The contributions of Opterion play an essential role as they are working to improve the quality of life of Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) patients. Research indicates that PD can be used successfully and is very well tolerated in patients with ESRD. During Peritoneal Dialysis, the blood’s waste products are removed by a cleansing fluid that flows through a catheter into part of the abdomen. There, the peritoneum acts as a filter and eliminates waste products. After a set period, the fluid with the filtered waste products flows out of the abdomen and is discarded.
As Opterion Health mentions on its brand-new website, dialysis is a lifesaving treatment – however, it also includes metabolic inflammatory and other adverse effects on different organs, such as the cardiovascular system. In the case of PD, the time in which dialysis may be performed is limited by fibrotic changes in the peritoneal tissue. For this reason, Opterion Health has developed a novel PD solution that is glucose-free and considerably decreases the metabolic and peritoneal challenge. When tested in an animal PD model, it showed high efficacy and adaptability to patients’ needs. Hence, the solution of Opterion has both a «game-changer» and «blockbuster» potential.
This novel Peritoneal Dialysis solution is the first real innovation in the PD market in the last two decades. At HEMEX, we also believe that the solution of Opterion will reduce not just dialysis-related healthcare costs, but also insulin dosage and glucose-related diabetic challenges. By ameliorating these effects, the duration of PD can be prolonged, and the inflammatory burden of disease on the patient can be reduced. We firmly believe in Opterion’s solution and are sure they will achieve great accomplishments this 2021!
Take a peek at their website to learn more about their innovative solution to dialysis care!
About Opterion Health
Opterion Health AG was founded in 2012 by healthcare experts. Based in Switzerland, the company is one of the few research-driven companies developing a novel PD solution. The company is privately held and financed by private as well as institutional Investors. Opterion is a preclinical life science company with two novel approaches in development, based on known molecules. Its two-fold approach will increase PD’s medical utility by offering a better osmotic driver (ODR) and – possibly in combination – a biocompatibility-enhancing agent (BCA).
About HEMEX
HEMEX is committed to changing the future of healthcare by guiding the most promising European start-ups through each and every step to bring innovative pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and in vitro diagnostics to the market. Headquartered close to the thriving Basel global Life Sciences hub, the goal at HEMEX is to ensure start-ups have access to a wide range of tailored products, practical solutions, and fundraising support. This empowers the next generation of transformative discoveries to grow into successful and sustainable businesses, and drive change in both human and animal healthcare. For more information, visit https://hemex.ch/