(New York City, NY – October 17, 2024) – The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Innovation Fund is proud to announce its latest investment in Revalia Bio, an innovative health technology company focused on creating a new paradigm in how we develop and deliver personalized care for kidney disease patients. This investment will help accelerate Revalia Bio’s efforts to transform the future of care for patients facing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related conditions, offering new hope to millions of people affected by kidney disease worldwide.
Revalia Bio’s technology is centered around the use of human organs donated for research, which are revived using advanced organ perfusion methods. Perfusion is a process where fluids, similar to blood, are circulated through the organ to keep it functioning outside the body. This allows Revalia Bio to study human organs in a near-living state, generating real-time data that provides a new window into human biology and disease. This unique approach creates an entirely new source of human data that can be coupled with the latest advances in AI to improve both the efficiency and quality of the drug development process.
“This investment serves as an important catalyst for advancing how new therapies are developed and delivered," said Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient. “Revalia Bio’s approach will accelerate the integration of innovative treatments for kidney disease by leveraging human organ data in a way that was previously unavailable. This will be critical in helping us gain better insight into CKD and ensure that healthcare providers have the tools they need to bring more therapies to patients faster.”
Revalia Bio’s platform also aims to leverage human organ data to empower physicians to effectively tailor treatments to the unique needs of each individual patient. Unlike data from animal models, human organ data directly translates to patient care and can be used by physicians to better personalize a treatment regimen to the unique needs of each patient.
“Our mission at Revalia Bio is to transform the loss of one patient in the future of personalized care through organ donation for groundbreaking research,” said Greg Tietjen, CEO of Revalia Bio. “With the support of the National Kidney Foundation’s Innovation Fund, we are closer than ever to realizing that mission. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of patients suffering with kidney disease while also honoring the profound legacy of those that have unfortunately lost their fight with kidney disease.”
Kidney disease affects over 35 million people in the United States alone, with millions more at risk. Despite the high prevalence of the disease, treatment options remain limited, and many patients progress to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or transplantation. NKF’s Innovation Fund is designed to help companies like Revalia Bio bring life-saving treatments to those in need.
This investment is part of NKF’s broader commitment to advancing research, improving patient care, and ultimately finding a cure for kidney disease. As Revalia Bio continues its work, NKF will remain a strong advocate for innovative solutions that have the potential to reshape kidney care.
The NKF Innovation Fund, launched in 2022, was created to accelerate the development of therapies that benefit people affected by kidney disease. By supporting companies like Revalia Bio, NKF is bridging the gap between early-stage research and bringing effective treatments to market, helping kidney patients access the most advanced options available.
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, 35 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are more than four times as likely as White Americans to have kidney failure.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org
About Revalia Bio
Revalia Bio is on a mission to realize the potential of organ donation to unlock the future of data-driven, personalized healthcare. For more information, visit www.revaliabio.com.
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