Alio targets dialysis market with green-lighted patient monitoring patch

Alio’s patch-based remote patient monitoring system has gained FDA clearance for intermittently collecting physiological data in home use settings. These data include skin temperature, auscultation sound data and heart rate.

The SmartPatch provides real-time, 24/7, noninvasive remote patient monitoring and Alio’s primary focus is on management of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). 

According to the company, almost 150,000 new patients start dialysis each year in the US. There are potentially a lot more chronic kidney disease patients who are requiring dialysis treatment, but 9 out of 10 people with this condition do not realise it.

Commenting on the implications of Alio’s FDA clearance on the haemodialysis population, Eric Hargan, former HHS Deputy Secretary commented that the US spends $14 billion on dialysis-related hospitalisations, 65% of which are preventable, in spite of government initiatives to make dialysis more accessible.“ Alio is poised to make a significant impact in decreasing hospitalisations and improving dialysis patients' quality of life," he stated.

Other therapy markets

The clearance is the first in several more submissions for the SmartPatch system which the company expects to make to the regulatory agency. Alio is also assessing the technology for other indications including remote monitoring of electrolytes, fluid management, and fistula status in specific patient populations requiring chronic care beyond kidney disease, such as patients with heart failure and peripheral vascular disease. It also has the potential for use in critical care settings.

Alio last year raised $20 million in series B funds to fuel its pipeline development and commercialisation of SmartPatch.