Friday, September 20, 2019
Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s leading provider of dialysis products and services, today announced the launch of its 4008ATM dialysis machine in China. The product is exclusively designed to incorporate Fresenius Medical Care’s high-quality standards while reducing costs for health care systems, meeting the needs in emerging markets. With the launch of the 4008ATM, Fresenius Medical Care is aiming to bring quality life-sustaining dialysis treatment to more patients in China who are suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
ESRD is the stage in kidney disease when a person's kidneys permanently stop working properly. To stay alive, the patient will need to undergo long-term dialysis or receive a kidney transplant. Currently more than 600,000 patients in China had access to dialysis, but the estimated ESRD prevalence is much higher. It is crucial to make sure that more cost-effective solutions are available for these patients in need of life-sustaining dialysis therapy.
Harry de Wit, Chief Executive Officer of Fresenius Medical Care Asia-Pacific, said: “It is important to enhance the accessibility to quality dialysis treatment in China, where over 1.4 billion of people are living. We know from reports that unfortunately not all patients have access to dialysis treatment in China. To help tackle this health care challenge, we are very proud to introduce the 4008ATM to China.”
Meeting the needs of patients in China
“It is important to enhance the accessibility and affordability of dialysis in primary care, especially in the rural regions in China,” Mr. Alan Chen, Executive Vice President of Fresenius Medical Care, Greater China said. “As the global leader in dialysis therapies, Fresenius Medical Care is committed to providing high-quality products and services to patients, helping them to lead fulfilling lives. Recently, the Chinese Government has been encouraging the reach of quality medical resources to rural areas, in order to promote primary healthcare in those areas. In view of the needs of Chinese patients, Fresenius Medical Care is dedicated to contributing to the ‘Healthy China 2030’ initiative of the Chinese government, of which the development of professional dialysis centers is one of the initiatives. With our expertise, innovation and knowledge we are able to support China’s overarching vision and provide hope to patients and their families.”
A milestone of innovation in China
The 4008ATM dialysis machine is a major innovation and a joined outcome of the beneficial collaboration between the Fresenius Medical Care China Design Center in Shanghai and the company’s Research and Development teams in Germany.
“With the local insights and knowledge from our R&D team in China, the 4008ATM with its high level of safety and handling standards, including essential cleaning functions and battery back-up will benefit the vast numbers of dialysis patients in China. The machine is designed to be robust and easily handled, making it ideal for remote locations,” Dr. Olaf Schermeier, Chief Executive Officer for Global Research and Development at Fresenius Medical Care, said. “In the future, we will continue to innovate in China to cater for the needs of developing markets, so that more patients in the region can benefit from high-quality dialysis treatment.”
In addition to the launch of the 4008ATM, Fresenius Medical Care also announced an initiative dedicated to providing care and education to nephrologists, nursing staff and patients in areas with inadequate health care resources. With the hope of bringing patients a brighter future with a high quality of life, the company will conduct research, educational training and public lectures to convey kidney disease information and treatment management concepts to Chinese healthcare professionals and patients in rural areas in order to equip them with knowledge and care in order to bring positive changes to their lives.
