PR86205

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- COVID-19, Artificial Intelligence, New Implantable Kidneys, Clinical Trials,

Precision Medicine

The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the largest independent

kidney patient organization in the USA, and strategic partner George Washington

University (GW) School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) shattered their

virtual engagement record with their second annual Global Summit, "Global

Kidney Innovations – Expanding Patient Choices & Outcomes," hosted July 16-17,

2020. The Global Kidney Innovations Summit has become the world's largest

patient-led kidney innovation conference.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/596158/AAKP_Logo.jpg 

The Summit engaged participants in over 70 countries and included over 20

special medical and patient expert sessions on: COVID-19 impacts on the kidney

and kidney patients; artificial intelligence and early disease diagnosis;

greater diversity in clinical trials; precision medicine; genetic conditions

such as APOL1; wearable and artificial implantable devices; and advancements in

home dialysis care. Tens of thousands of patients, clinical trial experts,

pharmaceutical researchers, medical professionals, and policy leaders worldwide

participated in the virtual Summit.

The Summit is part of AAKP's Decade of the Kidney(TM)

(https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=4115992760&u=https%3A%2F%2Faakp.org%2Fdecade-of-the-kidney%2F&a=Decade+of+the+Kidney%E2%84%A2%2C ),

a strategic ten-year global innovation and collaborative initiative

announced last year upon the signing of the historic bipartisan White House

Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=4253643087&u=https%3A%2F%2Faakp.org%2Fof-presidents-policies-and-patients%2F&a=Executive+Order+on+Advancing+American+Kidney+Health ).

The meeting was opened by Dr. Griffin Rodgers, Director of the National

Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and Chief of

the Molecular and Clinical Hematology Branch at the U.S. National Institutes of

Health (NIH). Dr. Rodgers is an international voice for patient inclusion in

research and innovation, a research investigator, and is widely recognized for

his contributions to the development of hydroxyurea, the first effective and

FDA-approved therapy for sickle cell anemia. Dr. Rodgers is the recipient of

the 2018 President's Medal from the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and a

member of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Board of Directors.

Watch (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=3647596416&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7komjcRaEOo%26list%3DPLsqCn2yDJM3OZxrsJ4TG3mYzbXlWH8MnN%26index%3D3%26t%3D4s&a=Watch )

Dr. Rodgers' remarks during the Global Summit.

AAKP President Richard Knight, a 14-year kidney transplant recipient, stated,

"Kidney disease is a devastating disease that is rapidly expanding and

negatively impacting patients, families, and economies throughout the world.

Future innovations in kidney medicine depend upon greater patient engagement

through fully inclusive clinical trials and research, and the GW School of

Medicine & Health Sciences is a global leader in this field. I thank Dean Dr.

Barbara Bass and Dr. Dominic Raj for their respect for patients and their

efforts to unite patients and clinicians in the fight against all kidney

diseases." Knight serves on the NIH/NIDDK Advisory Council, is Co-Chair of the

Strategic Plan Stakeholder Engagement Subgroup, and Co-Chair of the Community

Engagement Committee for the Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP). Knight

is a nationally known kidney advocacy leader (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=3526353384&u=https%3A%2F%2Fcjasn.asnjournals.org%2Fcontent%2F13%2F4%2F519%3Futm_source%3DPatient%2520Voice%26utm_medium%3DTwitterAAKP%26utm_campaign%3DAAKPPV&a=kidney+advocacy+leader ).

Dr. Dominic Raj, Co-Chair of the Global Summit and Professor of Medicine and

Chief of the Division of Kidney Diseases and Hypertension for GW SMHS, stated,

"Excellence is never an accident, but a mark of persistence and teamwork. Two

great institutions with a synergistic goal partnered to take this meeting to

the Summit, powered by the motivating spirit of kidney patients. This year's

Summit showcased not only the dire need for innovative discoveries and patient

engagement, but also the significant progress made in the global arena in the

field of nephrology."

Paul T. Conway, Co-Chair of the Global Summit and AAKP Chair of Policy and

Global Affairs, said, "AAKP and our friend Dr. Dominic Raj designed the Global

Summit on Kidney Innovations to be a distinct international event aimed at

accelerating cooperation among patients, researchers, clinicians, and policy

professionals. Kidney patient consumers worldwide demand far greater care

choice and are well aware of the unique value their patient preference

information has among innovation leaders driving the next generation of

diagnostics, devices, and biologics. AAKP is prepared to work with patients

worldwide to defend and advance the ideas of courageous innovation leaders

through regulatory, legislative, and payment processes to solve the problem of

kidney disease." Conway is a 23-year kidney transplant recipient and a former

home peritoneal dialysis patient. He serves on the NIH/NIDDK External Expert

Panel for the KPMP, is a member of the ABIM Nephrology Specialty Board, and a

Patient Voice Editor for The Clinical Journal of the American Society of

Nephrology (CJASN) ( https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/15/7/907 ).

Knight and Conway are recipients of the 2017 ASN President's Medal

(https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=1278948245&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidneynews.org%2Fkidney-news%2Fcurrent-issue%2Fkidney-patient-leaders-to-be-recognized-with-the-president%25E2%2580%2599s-medals&a=2017+ASN+President%27s+Medal ). During the Summit, AAKP

announced a strategic partnership with the Renal Patient Support Group (RPSG),

a United Kingdom (UK) international evidence-based patient group. The organizations

are committed to accelerating links among kidney patients worldwide to elevate

patient insights among an international network of researchers, clinical trial experts,

innovators, companies, and government leaders. This ground-breaking announcement is

the first of its kind in the kidney patient community and signals widening support

for an International Kidney Consortium (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=3610100486&u=https%3A%2F%2Faakp.org%2Fu-s-and-international-kidney-patients-ally-to-push-research-and-innovation%2F&a=International+Kidney+Consortium ).

All 2020 Global Summit presentations are available OnDemand

(https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=2263312810&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fplaylist%3Flist%3DPLsqCn2yDJM3OZxrsJ4TG3mYzbXlWH8MnN&a=available+OnDemand ) and will continue to reach

tens of thousands of additional viewers across the world to increase the AAKP

and GW SMHS reach of this year's Global Summit. The Inaugural AAKP/GW event

in 2019 engaged just over 50 countries and a combined in-person and worldwide

audience exceeding 20,000.

AAKP and GW SMHS thanks its 2020 Global Summit sponsors: Amgen, Inc.; CareDx,

Inc.; Natera; Eurofins Transplant Genomics; Outset Medical; and Retrophin.

Information on the 2021 Global Summit will be listed at

https://aakp.org/programs-and-events/2nd-annual-global-summit-global-kidney-innovations-expanding-patient-choices-outcomes/ 

as it becomes available.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Duplessie

Marketing & Communications Manager

jduplessie@aakp.org

(813) 400-2394

SOURCE  American Association of Kidney Patients