New diagnostic test for kidney injury

Image courtesy of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc announced in a company release,¹ the launch of the first veterinary diagnostic test for detecting kidney injury in cats and dogs. The IDEXX Cystatin B Test will be included in test panels assessing renal health, uncovering new clinical insights for an estimated 2 million patient visits annually. These tests will be run at IDEXX Reference Laboratories starting later this year in the US and Canada, with plans to introduce the test in Europe in 2024.

IDEXX saw the need for this new test after the company conducted a survey and found that one-third of kidney cases seen by veterinarians are related to kidney injury. According to IDEXX, kidney injury is a diagnosis can be challenging due to subtle or nonspecific signs.²

"With the addition of the IDEXX Cystatin B Test, we are pleased to offer the industry's first biomarker for kidney injury," said Jay Mazelsky, IDEXX President and CEO, in the release. "The IDEXX portfolio of tests and technologies enables veterinarians to intervene earlier, advance treatment, and now detect kidney injury, resulting in better outcomes throughout the lives of their patients."¹

The complete IDEXX expanded renal testing portfolio now includes¹:

• IDEXX Cystatin B Test, detecting kidney injury with or without changes in kidney function, providing valuable insights in cases such as early toxin exposure.
• IDEXX SDMA Test and creatinine, helping to establish a baseline for kidney function for monitoring and early kidney disease detection.
• IDEXX FGF-23 Test, allowing for more confident recommendations of targeted therapy for cats diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) by monitoring phosphorous overload.
• Urine testing, providing a deeper understanding of total kidney health by examining the physical and chemical properties of urine.

A joint statement from Gilad Segev, DVM, Dip. ECVIM-CA (Internal Medicine); Shelly Vaden, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM); and Larry D. Cowgill, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM (SAIM) said in the release: "The advent of diagnostic biomarkers capable to detect the presence of acute kidney injury as well as active and ongoing kidney injury in advance of or in the absence of changes in conventional markers of kidney function forecast an important advance in the evaluation of acute and chronic kidney disease in dogs. The development and validation of Cystatin-B as an active kidney injury biomarker in dogs that will be readily available to veterinarians has the potential to reshape the future diagnostic and therapeutic directions of kidney disease. As nephrologists, we anxiously await this new era of early disease discovery and management."¹

References

1. IDEXX announces novel diagnostic test for kidney injury, expanding the veterinary industry's most comprehensive renal testing portfolio. News release. IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Accessed June 15, 2023. Accessed June 23, 2023. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/idexx-announces-novel-diagnostic-test-for-kidney-injury-expanding-the-veterinary-industrys-most-comprehensive-renal-testing-portfolio-301851414.html
2. Data on file at IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Westbrook, Maine USA: Data from IDEXX global survey conducted August 2021–September 2021. Accessed June 23, 2023.