AstraZeneca, MedAsia partner to make kidney diagnosis more accessible

The AstraZeneca Philippines and a medical products corporation has partnered to make chronic kidney disease diagnosis more accessible to Filipinos.

The pharmaceutical firm and MedAsia have signed an agreement to enable more Filipino patients to gain access to urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) machines that detect how much albumin is present in the urine.

It is one of the earliest indicators of kidney disease and the testing may be done in doctors’ offices, hospitals, and diagnostic clinics.

“CKD is highly under diagnosed. Now that our uACR machines are more accessible to patients, we are committed to helping AstraZeneca Philippines and the medical community in addressing the root of the problem,” MedAsia general manager Oliver Lim said.

AstraZeneca Philippines president Lotis Ramin, on the other hand, underscored the urgency of early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic kidney disease.

“We are committed to helping improve outcomes, delay progression, and prolong dialysis-free survival for more Filipino patients,” Ramin said.

The CKD is reported as the 4th leading cause of premature death in the Philippines, while impaired kidney disease was the 9th leading cause of death and disability last 2017.

Meanwhile, hemodialysis procedure topped the procedural cases reimbursed through PhilHealth in 2021.

In November 2021, AstraZeneca Philippines launched Kidney Patrol, an online advocacy campaign that seeks to educate patients on kidney health, prevention of disease progression, dialysis, and complications. —NB, GMA News