The collaboration aims to develop new medicines to reduce chronic kidney disease in Scotland.
NHS Scotland, AstraZeneca (AZ), the University of Glasgow and the University of Dundee have formed a partnership to accelerate research into treatments for chronic kidney disease (CKD).
The collaboration aims to improve patient outcomes by developing new medicines to slow the progression of CKD, building infrastructure and increasing expertise in conducting renal clinical trials in Scotland.
CKD is a serious, progressive disease that affects approximately 850 million people worldwide and causes a decline in kidney function due to diabetes, hypertension, glomerulonephritis, etc.
By preventing the progression of CKD, patients can live longer, better lives free from the other sequelae of CKD, such as heart failure, cardiovascular disease and stroke, reducing the burden on the NHS.
As well as slowing the progression of CKD, the NHS in Scotland, Arizona and the Universities of Glasgow and Dundee will also work to reduce the risk of patients needing dialysis – a procedure that removes waste and excess water from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly – or a kidney transplant.
Commenting on the collaboration, Tom Keith-Roach, managing director of AZ UK, said: “We are very pleased to be investing in this partnership with the University of Glasgow, the University of Dundee and the Scottish Government to accelerate research into three potential new drug combinations that could be used to treat this disease.”
Neil Gray, the Minister for Health and Social Care, said: “Together we can advance research into medicines that slow the progression of the disease and reduce the need for dialysis and transplants… providing more opportunities for patients and enabling Scotland to attract and deliver more innovative trials.”
The collaboration follows the establishment of the Scottish Medicines Consortium. approved Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly began using it within NHS Scotland last month to treat adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Earlier in March, researchers from University College London and the British Kidney Association suggested that treating rare diseases could significantly reduce the burden of kidney disease on patients and the National Health Service (NHS). study Published in Lancet.
