World Kidney Day: 8 March 2012
News
The European Medicines Agency supports World Kidney Day, which is taking place on Thursday 8 March 2012.
World Kidney Day is held every year in March to raise awareness of the importance of the kidneys to overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
The Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
The European Commission has authorised a number of medicines for the treatment kidney problems, including medicines for chronic kidney disease, on the recommendation of the Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).
High blood pressure and diabetes are important risk factors for the development of chronic kidney disease. In the European Union, all new medicines for diabetes are authorised via the Agency, rather than in each Member State individually.
The Agency is currently drafting a guideline on the clinical investigation of medicinal products to slow progression of renal insufficiency, which will be the first European Union guideline in this area. It expects to release this guideline for public consultation later this year. The guideline's preparation follows positive feedback on the Concept paper on the need for the guidance on the clinical investigation of medicinal products to slow progression of renal insufficiency that was released for consultation in the second half of 2010.