Nedlands-based Proteomics has hit a milestone, with results showing its PromarkerD device can predict renal decline in type 1 diabetes patients.
Nedlands-based medtech innovator Proteomics International Laboratories has hit a milestone, with results showing its PromarkerD device can predict renal decline in type 1 diabetes patients.
The PromarkerD blood test, a finger-prick test, uses a unique biomarker to diagnose and predict a person’s risk of developing diabetic kidney disease.
It had originally been developed for individuals with type 2 diabetes and validated to predict renal decline up to four years in advance.
Now, in a study unveiled at the Australiasian Diabetes Conference in Perth on August 23 and published in The Journal of Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology, the PromarkerD has been shown to also predict renal decline in T1 patients.
It’s a significant breakthrough for T1 diabetes patients who, until now, had very few prognostic biomarkers for chronic kidney disease compared to T2 patients.
Proteomics International managing director Dr Richard Lipscombe said the advancement highlighted the versatility of the PromarkerD test.
“We are excited about the potential impact this could have on managing kidney health in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients,” he said.
Fremantle Hospital consultant physician and endocrinologist professor Tim Davis, who was lead author of the study, said the unique clinical needs of T1 diabetes patients made this a particularly beneficial breakthrough.
“By identifying at-risk individuals years before traditional methods, we can intervene sooner, potentially preventing significant renal complications and improving overall patient outcomes,” he said.
The breakthrough comes during a turbulent year for the Proteomics International Laboratories, which suffered a stock price plumment in March following a delay in the US market launch of PromarkerD.
In June, the company inked a distribution agreement with Eurobio Scientific to distribute PromarkerD in France – a country with one of the highest rates of end-stage renal disease in Europe.
Diabetes affects over 537 million people worldwide, and chronic kidney disease is a major complication leading to increased mortality.
Type 1 diabetes – which cannot be prevented – accounts for approximately 10 per cent of all diabetes cases.
In clinical studies, PromarkerD correctly predicted up to 86 per cent of otherwise healthy diabetics who went on to develop diabetic kidney disease within four years.
PILL shares were up 8 per cent following the announcement, trading at 90 cents per share.
