Recent studies conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University show that obese people have an increased risk of developing common kidney cancer, kidney stones apart from being at a high risk of getting a stroke. A study involving 1,640 participants studied the effects of weight on kidney cancer. The average age of patients was 62 and all participants had kidney tumors. The study showed that patients with a BMI of 30 or higher were 48% more likely to develop clear-cell renal cell cancer (RCC). With every 1 point increase in BMI, obese patients increased their odds of getting kidney cancer by 4%. Out of all the participants, 67% of the obese patients had kidney cancer compared to 57% of non-obese patients.

Pluromed Inc won 510(k) approval from the FDA for its Backstop polymer gel plug. The plug is used during lithotripsy kidney stone treatments that use laser or other energy sources to break up the stones. Backstop uses Pluromed’s Rapid Transition Polymers, which are liquid at low temperatures but gel at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. During the lithotripsy, the gel forms a plug above the stones, preventing them from moving during the procedure. Once the stones are broken, saline is used to dissolve the plug.

LifeCycle Pharma A/S has announced the enrollment of the first patient in its Phase 3 clinical trial program for use of LCP-Tacro™ in the prevention of organ rejection in stable kidney transplant patients. The clinical trial protocol has been reviewed by FDA, and LCP expects to enroll approximately 300 stable kidney transplant patients in the program. The study will be conducted at approximately 50 sites in U.S. and Europe and the clinical trial results are expected by second half of 2010.

Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it will be considering its principal product H.P. Acthar for use in a new area – nephrotic syndrome. In this condition, there is excessive spilling of protein into the urine from the kidneys of the patient. Acthar is specifically indicated to deal with this condition (proteinuria). Questcor is in discussions with nephrologists about the possible therapeutic application of Acthar. A broader indication for the product is expected in future.

According to a study scheduled to be published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN), black patients face a higher risk of dying in the early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) than whites. The study’s results indicate that racial differences in the death rates of chronic kidney disease patients depend more on sociological factors than on biological ones. Poverty and lack of education and medical insurance, in particular, may contribute to the high death rates among black individuals. However, among patients with late-stage chronic kidney disease, the trend is reversed and black individuals have a survival advantage over whites.

A research led by a Johns Hopkins has indicated that African-American people suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) continue to lose their kidney function over time even when their blood pressure is kept strictly under control. The study involving 1,094 African American patients reflected that the kidney functions of these patients continued to deteriorate even through their blood pressure remained below the recommended range, often leading to dialysis, kidney transplantation and even death. The findings suggested that treating CKD in this population may be vastly more complex than thought previously.

According to Abbott UK, the company is launching Zemplar’s (paricalcitol) oral formulation for patients of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). It is a prevalent complication of chronic kidney disease, which involves a decrease in vitamin D activation. The Zemplar oral formulation now offers patients the convenience of a capsule, as compared to the earlier option of paricalcitol injections.