Astute Medical, Inc. Unveils Novel Test for Acute Kidney Injury

BRUSSELS, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- NephroCheck™ Test Aimed at Providing Risk Assessment Information for ICU Patients

Astute Medical, Inc., a developer of biomarker-based diagnostics intended to aid physicians in managing critically ill patients, today revealed its first product candidate, the NephroCheck™ Test, at the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (ISICEM) being held in Brussels, Belgium. The novel test, which will be launched in Europe later this year, is intended to aid in the risk assessment for acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients, a condition with mortality rates approaching 40 to 80 percent for severely ill patients in intensive care settings (ICU).

"The kidneys serve a vital function in the human body, comparable to that of the heart or lungs," said Dr. John Kellum, professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Up to 20 percent of critically ill patients experience AKI during the course of their illness, which can result in longer hospital stays, long term loss of function and diminished quality of life, and in the most severe cases loss of life."

"AKI is often a stealth condition, and the assessment of risk can be complicated by a lack of apparent symptoms and co-morbidities," said Chris Hibberd, Astute Medical chief executive officer. "By providing information relative to risk, we believe the NephroCheck Test can potentially help improve patient management."

The NephroCheck Test utilizes immunoassay technology to identify changes in biomarker measurements that correlate with risk for AKI. The test is performed on a small cartridge that employs proprietary microfludic engineering to conduct most sample processing steps. Biomarker measurements are read by the Astute140™ Meter, which delivers results in about 20 minutes.

Astute Medical utilized its proprietary research platform to identify and validate biomarkers used in the NephroCheck Test. After assessing target candidates, researchers performed a series of validation studies to identify the most promising biomarker targets.

The Astute140™ Meter and the NephroCheck™ Test are not available in the United States.

Astute Medical is an exhibitor at the ISICEM meeting, one of the largest and most prestigious critical care conferences in the world, attracting approximately 6,000 key opinion leaders, physicians, and other healthcare personnel each year. The Company's booth is located at Booth 1.33-1.44.

About Astute Medical, Inc.

Astute Medical is dedicated to improving the diagnosis of high-risk medical conditions and diseases through the identification and validation of protein biomarkers that can serve as the basis for novel diagnostic tests. The Company's focus is community and hospital acquired acute conditions that require rapid diagnosis and risk assessment. Astute Medical's current areas of interest include abdominal pain, acute coronary syndromes, cerebrovascular injury, kidney injury and sepsis. For additional information, please visit http://www.astutemedical.com.

ASTUTE MEDICAL™ and the Astute Medical logo are trademarks of Astute Medical, Inc.