Heparin Calcium

SAN DIEGO — As researchers explore more potential benefits of GLP-1 medicines, a new retrospective study is suggesting the drug class’ potential to treat venous thromboembolisms, or blood clots in the veins, for individuals with type 2 diabetes. The researchers looked at electronic health records from hundreds of thousands of diabetes patients and compared those who took GLP-1s with another diabetes drug class known as DPP-4 inhibitors. The review found that those who were on GLP-1 drugs had a 20% lower risk of developing the clots after one year. That group also had a 22% lower rate of pulmonary embolisms — clots blocking arteries in the lungs — and an 18% lower rate of deep vein thrombosis. Retrospective studies like this one are useful for finding relationships and suggesting avenues for further study, but the evidence is often considered less persuasive than a randomized, placebo-controlled study. The research was published at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting this weekend. DPP-4 inhibitors were chosen as a control group because they are a commonly used diabetes drug and have no known effect on venous thromboembolisms, lead author Cho Han Chiang told Endpoints News . The research also didn’t separate results by specific GLP-1 drugs. All previously approved drugs were included in the analysis, including newer ones like semaglutide (Novo’s Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound), as well as GLP-1s approved in the mid-2000s like exenatide (Lilly’s Byetta). Chiang also included patients who were taking other diabetes drugs like metformin or insulin. The results add to a quickly growing body of evidence that GLP-1 drugs could have broad applications beyond the diabetes and obesity indications that make up the bulk of the market for the drugs. In March, the FDA approved Wegovy to treat cardiovascular disease, and other data have shown potential effects in conditions ranging from liver disease to Parkinson’s and depression. Chiang, a resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said diabetes and obesity are significant risk factors for venous thromboembolism, one of the reasons he decided to conduct the analysis. There aren’t many medical interventions that can prevent them, he said. “There are some recommendations on the use of low molecular weight heparin and compression stockings,” Chiang said. “But in terms of medical therapy to reduce one of the major risk factors, such as obesity, in contributing to VTE, there’s pretty limited data.” The CDC estimates that there are as many as 900,000 yearly cases of venous thromboembolisms in the US. The next step in Chiang’s research will be to look at conducting a similar analysis specifically for obesity, he said. Other areas where venous thromboembolisms can manifest are some hematological cancers. But whether biopharma companies opt to conduct clinical trials is up to their discretion, he said. “You probably can randomize patients on GLP-1 receptor agonists, and those without, as an add-on therapy to a diabetes regimen” in patients at high risk for developing venous thromboembolisms, Chiang said.

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CorMedix Inc. (Nasdaq: CRMD), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for life-threatening diseases and conditions, today highlights key policy changes from CMS that benefit hemodialysis patients. Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released important policy updates that will broaden the access of Medicare patients managing End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and on dialysis to innovative new therapies. Beginning in January 2025, CMMI’s Kidney Care Choices (KCC) value-based care model will carve out Transitional Drug Add-on Payment Adjustments (TDAPA payments) from financial calculations such as benchmarks, performance year expenditures and USPCC trend rates, allowing ESRD patients participating in a KCC to have increased access to certain innovative new drugs, including CorMedix drug product DefenCath® (taurolidine and heparin). Given that more than 30% of ESRD patients in the US are currently enrolled in a KCC, this change removes a significant barrier to the utilization of innovative therapies by patients in need, and will ensure that financial considerations do not diminish ESRD patients’ care choices and access to innovative new drugs. Joe Todisco, CorMedix CEO, commented, “CorMedix applauds CMS for making a patient-centered policy change that will align provider incentives with patient care and broaden access to innovation. I am appreciative of the industry stakeholders, patient advocacy organizations, and CorMedix team members that worked closely with CMS to enact this change for the benefit of patient access. This important change will better allow providers to more easily protocolize a product like DefenCath across clinics and patient payor segments system-wide.” About CorMedix CorMedix Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening conditions and diseases. The Company is focused on commercializing its lead product DefenCath® (taurolidine and heparin) which was approved by the FDA on November 15, 2023. CorMedix commercially launched DefenCath in inpatient settings in April 2024 and in outpatient settings in July 2024. CorMedix also intends to develop DefenCath as a catheter lock solution for use in other patient populations. For more information visit: www.cormedix.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions or variations intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, regarding management’s expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or CorMedix’s prospects should be considered forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from projections or estimates due to a variety of important factors, and readers are directed to the Risk Factors identified in CorMedix’s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from CorMedix. CorMedix may not actually achieve the goals or plans described in its forward-looking statements, and such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Investors should not place undue reliance on these statements. CorMedix assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Investor Contact:Dan FerryManaging DirectorLifeSci Advisorsdaniel@lifesciadvisors.com(617) 430-7576