A predictive tool that enables early diagnosis of kidney disease in cats received high honors within the most popular category of annual awards from Animal Pharm.
RenalTech, a diagnostic tool that allows for early prediction of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats—up to two years before a clinical diagnosis becomes possible—has been voted Best New Companion Animal Product for 2019 by the animal health news outlet Animal Pharm.
The predictive tool, created by Antech Diagnostics along with other companies in the Mars Petcare family, only became available to veterinarians in October, but uptake has been excellent.
"In just four months since its introduction, RenalTech statuses have been issued for more than 100,000 cats,” said Jennifer Ogeer, BSc, DVM, MSc, MBA, MA, vice president of medical affairs and commercial marketing at Antech Diagnostics in a press release. “We believe this opportunity to act proactively instead of reactively … 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."
The Animal Pharm award recognized RenalTech for “tapping the next-generation trend of combining artificial intelligence with veterinary diagnostics,” allowing practitioners and pet owners to create individualized health plans that may delay CKD onset and progression.
According to the release, 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.” RenalTech is free of charge for Antech customers.