NKF Honors Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., with SCM19 Corporate Innovator Award

New York, NY — May 2, 2019 – Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. has been selected to receive the 2019 Corporate Innovator Award from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) at the 2019 Spring Clinical Meetings in Boston.

 

In April 2018, Otsuka’s JYNARQUE^TM (tolvaptan) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first treatment to slow kidney function decline in adults at risk of rapidly progressing Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD).

 

“ADPKD is the most commonly inherited kidney disorder, and it affects all races and ethnic groups equally” said Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant patient. “The Corporate Innovator Award recognizes Otsuka’s significant contribution to improving the lives of people with ADPKD and we congratulate them on this achievement.”  

 

ADPKD is diagnosed in about 140,000 people in the U.S., and impacts families across multiple generations, since a parent with ADPKD has a 50 percent chance of passing the disease to their children.  ADPKD is a genetic disease with consequences that can lead to dialysis or kidney transplantation. It is a progressively debilitating and often painful disorder in which fluid-filled cysts develop in the kidneys over time. These cysts enlarge the kidneys and impair their ability to function normally, leading to kidney failure in most patients.

 

“Otsuka is honored to be recognized by the National Kidney Foundation as a recipient of the Corporate Innovator Award,” said Louis Allesandrine, VP Oncology and Nephrology Sales and Marketing. “Since the FDA approval of JYNARQUE one year ago, many people living with ADPKD in the U.S. have received this treatment. Otsuka continues to make significant investments in our nephrology research and development and is committed to meeting the long-term unmet needs of people living with chronic kidney disease.”

 

The Corporate Innovator Award was established to recognize industry companies that advance the field of nephrology by addressing an unmet medical need, or improving upon an existing practice, therapeutic or technology. The award will be presented to Otsuka during the NKF Spring Clinical Meetings in Boston, which will be held from May 8-12. 

 

For the past 27 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF’s Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams’ skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team. 

 

In the United States 30 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and most aren’t aware of it.  1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease.  Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history.  People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease.  African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end stage renal disease (kidney failure).