DaVita Kidney Care Expands Use of NxStage Home Hemodialysis Machines from Fresenius Medical Care

WALTHAM, Mass. and DENVER, March 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) and DaVita Kidney Care today announced an expanded agreement to provide home dialysis technology—including NxStage home hemodialysis (HHD) machines, dialysis supplies, and a connected health platform—to DaVita patients across the United States. The agreement supports both companies' goals to empower more patients to choose home dialysis, which can provide a higher quality of life for people living with chronic kidney failure*¹.

"For patients choosing home dialysis, it can mean more freedom and also active participation in their care, which is why we're always looking for new solutions that ease the burden on our patients," said Keith Hartman, group vice president for DaVita home modalities. "We're expanding our use of NxStage home hemodialysis machines that have invaluable remote capabilities and connectivity for our patients. By transmitting treatment information, we hope to help identify irregularities and prevent avoidable complications, thus supporting patients' desire to stay on their treatment of choice longer."

"We are excited to expand our longstanding collaboration with DaVita to help more patients benefit from the portability, dependability, and flexibility of our NxStage home machines, which are designed to be easy to use," said Joe Turk, president of Home and Critical Care Therapies for FMCNA. "Our HHD technology is bringing home dialysis to more patients than ever before, aligning both with evidence supporting dialysis at home as well as the recently-confirmed Medicare programs to accelerate home adoption."

This agreement also allows patients to access Nx2me Connected Health, a state-of-the-art connected health platform that simplifies collection and sharing of treatment information with the dialysis clinic and care team. Nx2me Connected Health accesses treatment information directly from the HHD machine; including weight, blood pressure, and temperature via Bluetooth; and medication taken, notes, and answers to health assessment questions as entered by patients.

"Home hemodialysis can be a fantastic clinical option for many patients while also better aligning with their lifestyles," said Dr. Martin Schreiber, chief medical officer for DaVita home modalities. "We're committed to bringing innovative solutions that build on our prior advancements and can help further transform our patients' experience while treating at home."

The NxStage home hemodialysis machines from Fresenius Medical Care are the first and only truly portable hemodialysis systems cleared for home use in the United States, including solo hemodialysis** during waking hours and nocturnal hemodialysis while both the patient and care partner sleep. Its small size offers greater flexibility to patients interested in traveling, as they can more easily bring their treatment supplies with them. The machine uses the PureFlow SL to create dialysate using a combination of purified tap water and concentrated dialysate. The NxStage HHD machine can also be used with bagged dialysate – a practical option for situations when clean water supply is not available, and during travel.

Offering a convenient, connected, and confident experience for patients is at the core of DaVita's home dialysis program. As a pioneer in the kidney care community, DaVita offers a range of innovative solutions to meet patient needs at every stage and setting in their care journey, ensuring seamless continuity of care through life's changes. By coupling comprehensive patient education platforms with personalized care plans, DaVita supports patients' efforts to remain healthy and on their modality of choice, where they're able to lead their best possible lives. 

More information about how DaVita is transforming care for patients treating at home is available at DaVita.com/Home.

More information about NxStage home hemodialysis machines can we found at: fmcna.com/products/home-dialysis-equipment/.

About DaVita Inc.
DaVita DVA is a health care provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. The company is one of the largest providers of kidney care services in the U.S. and has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for more than 20 years. Through DaVita Kidney Care, the company treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage kidney disease. DaVita is committed to bold, patient-centric care models, implementing the latest technologies and moving toward integrated care offerings for all. Through these efforts, DaVita has also become the largest provider of home dialysis in the country. As of December 31, 2020, DaVita served 204,200 patients at 2,816 outpatient dialysis centers in the United States. The company also operated 321 outpatient dialysis centers in ten countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality, and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care industry to adopt an equitable and high-quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.

About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the premier healthcare company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities and outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, Fresenius Medical Care North America provides coordinated healthcare services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers throughout the continent. As the world's largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products, and renal pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website at https://fmcna.com/.

* Not all patients may experience these benefits. Modality selections and decisions related to a patient's care are always made by the attending nephrologist and patient, and provided pursuant to a physician's order.
** Home hemodialysis typically requires a care partner. Patients require additional training and an order from their nephrologist to perform solo home hemodialysis.

References:

1. Bonenkamp AA et al. Health-Related Quality of Life in Home Dialysis Patients Compared to In-Center Hemodialysis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Kidney Med. Published online Feb. 2020.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations. Various important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements, including the risks identified in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. DaVita disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release, except as may be otherwise required by law.

This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, regulatory reforms, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

Media Contact:

Fresenius Medical Care North America
Brad Puffer
Corporate Communications
brad.puffer@fmc-na.com
(781) 699-3331

DaVita Kidney Care
Halie Peddle
Home Media Relations
halie.peddle@davita.com
(303) 550-6349

SOURCE Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.