RenalTech® predicts chronic kidney disease in cats two years before it occurs; receives top honors
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF. — Antech Diagnostics, part of Mars Petcare, announced today that RenalTech®, its predictive diagnostic tool, was voted “Best New Companion Animal Product for 2019,” the highest honor within the most popular category of annual awards from Animal Pharm, a news and analysis service for the animal health industry. The award recognized RenalTech™ “for tapping the next-generation trend of combining artificial intelligence with veterinary diagnostics,” which enables RenalTech® to predict chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats two years before it occurs with greater than 95% accuracy. The information allows veterinarians and pet owners to address disease proactively with personalized care plans that may potentially delay CKD onset and progression.
“In just four months since its introduction, RenalTech® statuses have been issued for more than 100,000 cats, creating opportunities for veterinarians to discuss with pet owners actionable information about their cat’s future health status and engage with them on a deeper level about what they can do now to help their pet achieve the best possible overall health before they face disease,” said Jennifer Ogeer, BSc., DVM, MSc., MBA, MA, VP Medical Affairs & Commercial Marketing. “We believe this opportunity to act proactively instead of reactively—to treat disease before it occurs—could fundamentally change how we, as veterinarians, treat CKD. Now that we have an opportunity to take advantage of all the benefits early care allows, we can endeavor to change the outlook for this highly prevalent disease.”
CKD affects 30-40 percent of cats over the age of 10. A growing body of data suggests early care strategies can impact cats with CKD, potentially delaying or slowing what would otherwise be its natural progression. However, current detection methods find disease only after significant and irreversible kidney damage has occurred. RenalTech® creates an opportunity for early care strategies to work by analyzing common feline health parameters—all obtained from a minimum database during routine wellness visits—to deliver a RenalTech™ status that predicts whether or not a cat will develop CKD within the next two years. Veterinarians can use this information to help pet owners understand the value of personalized care plans designed with an eye toward delaying CKD onset and progression by detecting and treating contributing disease and improving overall feline wellness.
RenalTech® is the first in a series of predictive diagnostic tools that combines the expertise of Mars Petcare, the WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute, and Antech; it’s free of charge for Antech customers. Care pathways for RenalTech® results, available at www.antechdiagnostics.com/renaltech, detail early care strategies for CKD as well as risk factors and comorbidities to address in response to each RenalTech® status.
Animal Pharm is a news and analysis service for the global animal health industry. To learn more about its 2019 award recipients, visit Animal Pharm. For more information about RenalTech®, please visit Antech.
About Antech
At the heart of Antech is our love for pets. We combine innovative technologies backed by scientific rigor with data-driven insights and consultative moments to help veterinarians and their teams improve the health and well-being of the pets we love. Our commitment to customers spans more than 30 years and celebrates their dedication to setting new standards in pet care quality, which we support through innovative diagnostic, imaging, education and support services. Today, Antech is driving the future of pet health as part of Mars Petcare, the world’s leading pet nutrition and health care ecosystem. Visit us at https://www.antechdiagnostics.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media: Michele Fox
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