IVIVA Medical Wins KidneyX Award for 3D Printed Artificial Kidney

IVIVA Medical, a biotech startup developing living therapeutics to cure patients with organ failure, was awarded the KidneyX Phase 2 Prize from the Kidney Innovation Accelerator for its work to develop a fully implantable bioartificial kidney.

850 million people worldwide have kidney disease, including 37 million Americans. In the United States alone, treatment costs total more than $100 billion per year. Treatment and maintenance therapies are lengthy, expensive and often compromise the quality of life of those affected. The only hope for these patients is an organ transplant. Unfortunately, the shortage of available organs results in patients spending an average of five or more years on the waiting list, and many die before receiving surgery. IVIVA Medical is working to change the status quo by developing fully implantable bioartificial organs that can help patients with organ dysfunction find a cure and live a normal life.

“Patients with renal failure experience not only the impact of their disease but the inevitable side effects of existing treatments because transplant organs are only available for a few lucky recipients. We’re working to transform organ replacement. Because we build these implants from patient-derived cells, there will be no need for long-term immunosuppression, no risk for rejection, and no donor organ shortage,” said IVIVA Medical Founder and CEO Harald Ott. “We are excited to join the KidneyX community and are grateful for the support of the Department of Health and Human Services and the American Society of Nephrology. Receiving one of the KidneyX awards will help us to mature our technology and improve patients’ lives.”

“Kidney diseases are common, serious, and deadly. People with kidney diseases have demanded innovative treatment technologies and management strategies to replace dialysis, which has changed slowly and incrementally over 50 years. The nephrology scientific community has responded with a pipeline of discoveries that promise to revolutionize kidney care. The Artificial Kidney Prize Phase 2 winners highlight paradigm-shifting solutions in xenotranplantation and regenerative medicine that are being developed to reduce the burdens of kidney disease,” said John R. Sedor, MD, FASN, KidneyX Steering Committee Chair.

“HHS is excited and still remains committed to the partnership and advancing kidney care. With the close of the Artificial Kidney Prize Phase 2, I couldn’t be more thrilled to congratulate the winners of the competition. This prize competition is leading us into the next steps for advancements and solutions in the artificial kidney developments,” said Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD.

Find out more about IVIVA at ivivamedical.com.