Debiotech SA, Switzerland, and AWAK Technologies Pte Ltd., Singapore, announced today that they have entered into a partnership agreement regarding the development and manufacturing of a novel miniaturized Home Hemodialysis machine intended to serve the growing need for homecare treatment of patients suffering from end-stage renal disease.  This new system will be based on Debiotech’s highly miniaturized Home dialysis equipment “DialEase^[TM]“, developed for Home Peritoneal dialysis, and AWAK’s novel sorbent technology for fluid purification. The combination of both companies’ product expertise will lead to a new system which shall be extremely small and convenient to use, less intrusive in a patient’s life and more cost effective. This new system will also require much less fluid than conventional Hemodialysis machines and will be monitored in real time from the hospital via the cloud.

“This collaboration agreement is based on the ideal synergy between the innovative fluid purification system developed by AWAK and our existing Home dialysis machine, DialEase^[TM],” says Dr. Frédéric Neftel, President and CEO of Debiotech. “Our common vision is to make available to patients, in a relative short period of time, the most integrated and cost-effective machine for Home Hemodialysis. By using our DialEase^[TM] system, which features today’s smallest and most convenient system for Home peritoneal dialysis, we will be able to bring optimal comfort,  safety and independance to patients preferring to benefit from Hemodialysis treatment at Home. By using the sorbent fluid purification cartridge from AWAK, we will be able to save a significant amount of fluid, simplify the entire logistics and radically reduce the size of the final system, contributing also to overall cost savings. Such development of a Home Hemodialysis version of DialEase^[TM], with the sorbent purification system for the dialysate, will require both parties’ active involvement and significant investments which are today justified by the significant opportunity of addressing the unmet need for a safe, cost effective and convenient Hemodialysis therapy method at Home. As a result, we hope to significantly change the Quality of Life for many patients suffering from End Stage Renal Failure and contribute to the reduction of healthcare costs.”

“DialEase^[TM], which has been conceived to address most of the Homecare specific treatment issues (such as ease of use, safety, convenience, transportability, compliance etc…), is an ideal platform for the development of other treatment modalities, such as Home Hemodialysis,” says Laurent-Dominique Piveteau, Business Development Director at Debiotech. “The specific Home Hemodialysis version will take most of the existing features and benefits from the DialEase^[TM] PD machine, while adding a newly designed blood circulation part and a specific interconnection with the sorbent cartridge from AWAK. The final device will only be slightly bigger than the PD version, making it easily transportable, while increasing convenience of use and adding safety features specifically required for Home Hemodialysis.”

“We have worked intensively to make DialEase^[TM] the most reliable and least intrusive product in a Patient Life, knowing how difficult dialysis at home can be”, says Didier Vecten, Project Manager at DEBIOTECH SA. “We are now eager to further develop the product for Home Hemodialysis which characterizes the passion and enthusiasm of an entire team of top scientists and engineers who have never lost track of the Patients they are proud to serve.”

“AWAK focuses on developing leading sorbent technology platform for portable and wearable dialysis, for both Peritoneal and Hemodialysis. In Debiotech, we found a partner with the same vision of vast improvement of Quality of Life through patient-friendly Home dialysis regime. With this partnership, we will jointly work with potential service providers or partners who shared our visions of a paradigm change in dialysis therapy.” said Mr. Neo Kok Beng, President and CEO of AWAK Technologies. “Dialease and AWAK Technologies’ Purification System are both based on the principles of minimalist and simplicity, creating a Home Hemodialysis device that is small, compact, portable and simple to use. It will be a significant improvement over the Home Hemodialysis machines currently on the market.” said Ms. Jasmin Wong, General Manager of AWAK Technologies.

The present DialEase^[TM] device can easily stand on a night table and only weights about 4.7kg, making it easily transportable and less intrusive into the patient’s home. It is also equipped with a “Telecare” real time communication interface, making it easy for the patient and the medical staff to enter into direct video communication at any point of time. Treatment parameters and compliance can also be followed in real time by the healthcare professionals, ensuring safety and adequate treatment at all times. Wireless communication with a weight scale and a blood pressure/blood glucose monitoring device also ensures distant control of the patient and treatment compliance surveillance. A large multimedia display, with voice guidance, ensures that the patient is always guided in every step of the therapy to limit potential errors and risks of contamination. The DialEase^[TM] device is also equipped with automatic alarm resolution feature to minimize treatment interruptions and optimize treatment time. Thanks to a very innovative fluidic management cartridge, fully compatible with blood management, the DialEase^[TM] system simplifies all connections and manipulations for the patient. The DialEase^[TM] for PD is currently scheduled for CE marking in the course of 2014.

AWAK Technologies is well-known in the renal dialysis market as the first wearable dialysis company to design and develop Automated Wearable Artificial Kidney PD (AWAK PD System) using peritoneal based dialysis sorbent technology to address end-stage renal disease market. AWAK PD^[TM] is planned for CE and FDA certification in 2015 and 2016 respectively. AWAK Technologies sorbent is highly efficient and can be easily adapted for use in hemodialysis machine. The AWAK Technology’s sorbent purification cartridge is a key component for dialysate regeneration during dialysis session. It requires about 4 liters of water to regenerate and reconstitute spent dialysate into fresh dialysate. AWAK Technology’s sorbent purification system is able to produce ultra-pure dialysate, eliminating the need for expensive purification system. It also allows patients the freedom and ease to move within and out of their homes making work and travel possible. Its distinctive formulation can be designed to cater to different form, size and shape to accommodate different dialysis modes catering to patient’s dialysis requirements and lifestyle. This unique feature makes it flexible for the purification system to be integrated into any hemodialysis machine currently available.