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Antech expands feline renal health portfolio with Antech SDMA™
First complete solution for chronic kidney disease prediction, early diagnosis, monitoring and staging

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) booth #1118 -- Antech Diagnostics, part of Mars Petcare, announced today the addition of Antech SDMA™ (symmetric dimethylarginine) to its feline renal health portfolio. A renal biomarker for early diagnosis, staging and monitoring of chronic kidney disease (CKD), Antech SDMA complements RenalTech, which can predict CKD onset two years before disease occurs. The expanded renal health portfolio gives veterinarians the first complete solution for feline CKD prediction, early diagnosis, monitoring and staging, ensuring they can support the best possible outlook for cats facing disease. Antech SDMA for cats and dogs will be available in late spring.  

Antech's complete feline renal health portfolio allows veterinarians to provide early, precision care for CKD that matches the unique health status of each cat, supporting optimal health as well as continued pet owner confidence and care plan compliance. Using RenalTech, named Best New Companion Animal Product of 2019, veterinarians can predict CKD two years before it occurs with greater than 95% accuracy. The unique ability to predict disease allows proactive personalized care plans designed to slow disease onset and progression. Antech SDMA allows veterinarians to identify CKD early, tailoring care plans to meet the individual needs of each cat. Once disease is underway, Antech SDMA helps veterinarians monitor and stage disease according to updated International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) guidelines, once again adjusting care plans to specific disease progress.

"The outlook for CKD in cats is absolutely changing," said Jennifer Ogeer, BSc., DVM, MSc., MBA, MA, VP Medical Affairs & Commercial Marketing. "The opportunity for disease prediction, early diagnosis, staging and disease monitoring in one complete solution gives us an unprecedented opportunity to create, tailor and revise highly personalized care plans to ensure we're following IRIS guidelines, recommending exactly what a cat needs, when they need it. Our new renal health portfolio is evidence of our commitment not only to delivering the most innovative diagnostics in veterinary medicine but also creating the comprehensive toolkits that, in this instance, allow veterinarians to use available biomarkers exactly as guidelines recommend to set new standards of care in veterinary medicine."

CKD affects 30-40 percent of cats over the age of 10. Early management may slow the progression of disease. However, traditional diagnostics find disease only once it's underway and significant, irreversible kidney damage has already occurred. RenalTech creates an opportunity for early care strategies to work by predicting disease before it begins. By analyzing common feline health parameters—all obtained from a minimum database during routine wellness visits—RenalTech delivers a status that indicates whether or not a cat will develop CKD within the next two years. Veterinarians can use this information to help pet owners understand the value of personalized care plans designed to slow CKD onset and progression by detecting and treating contributing disease and improving overall feline wellness.

SDMA is a biomarker for kidney function in dogs and cats; it signals when on average 40% of kidney function is lost versus creatinine, which increases above reference intervals only when significant loss of function has occurred, typically up to 75% or more. IRIS guidelines recommend SDMA to diagnose and stage CKD as well as monitor disease progression, which allows veterinarians to match care plans to specific IRIS-recommended care. Antech SDMA correlates extremely well with existing SDMA tests.* Veterinarians managing RenalTech positive and RenalTech negative cats can perform Antech SDMA testing at regular intervals, supporting earlier disease detection and personalized care plans that tie directly to IRIS guidelines.

Antech SDMA will be available to customers in late spring. WVC attendees can learn about Antech's complete feline renal health portfolio, which includes RenalTech and Antech SDMA, as well as early care strategies for CKD, by attending the following education sessions delivered by Dr. Dennis Chew at The Learning Lounge in the exhibit hall on Wednesday, February 19:

Taking the Surprise Out of CKD
11:30 AM - 11:55 AM

Initial Management of Stable Chronic Kidney Disease
12:00 PM - 12:25 PM

For more information about RenalTech and recommended care pathways using the new feline renal health portfolio, please visit www.antechdiagnostics.com/renaltech. For information about the science behind RenalTech, please visit Waltham Petcare Science Institute.

The 92nd Annual WVC Conference takes place from February 16-19, 2020 at the Mandalay Bay Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit Antech at WVC booth #1118.

About Antech
At the heart of Antech is our love for pets. Combining innovative technologies backed by scientific rigor with data-driven insights and consultative moments, we help veterinarians and their teams improve the health and well-being of the pets we love. Our commitment to customers spans more than 30 years and celebrates their dedication to setting new standards in pet care quality, which we support through innovative diagnostic, imaging, education and support services. Today, Antech is driving the future of pet health as part of Mars Petcare, the world's leading pet nutrition and health care ecosystem. Visit us at http://www.antechdiagnostics.com. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

*Data on file at Antech Diagnostics

SOURCE Antech Diagnostics

For further information: Media: Michele Fox, Mobile: 781.248.9455