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Medtronic (MDT) Carpediem to Tap Pediatric Kidney Care Market

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Medtronic plc (MDT - Free Report) recently made the commercial launch of its cardio-renal pediatric dialysis emergency machine, Carpediem. In April, the FDA granted marketing authorization for this device targeted to provide continuous hemodialysis or hemofiltration therapy to critically ill pediatric patients weighing between 2.5 and 10 kilograms or 5.5 to 22 pounds.

At Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the first Carpediem system has been successfully installed.

Carpediem System at a Glance

The continuous hemodialysis or hemofiltration therapy is also known as continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). This system, implemented in ICU settings, uses dialysis machine and a special filter called dialyzer to clean a patient’s blood for an extended period of time, without any halt. This compares with the traditional three times a week therapy session.

Carpediem CRRT system is the first device for a lower weight-specific pediatric patient population. This system targets critically ill patients with high risk of acute kidney injury and fluid overload requiring hemodialysis or hemofiltration therapy.

Kidney Care Prospect in the Pediatric Market

At present, there are lucrative opportunities in pediatric dialysis market. Approximately 10,000 children develop acute kidney injury in the United States each year. According to Medtronic, children on its therapy have a survival rate of only 38-43%. The mortality rate for neonates with acute kidney injury has been reported to be as high as 60%.

Carpediem – a Strategic Inclusion

The existing CRRT devices available in the United States are intended for use in patients weighing at least 20 kilograms and are not approved for use in pediatric patients weighing between 2.5 and 10 kilograms. The CARPEDIEM System accordingly is expected to successfully address the untapped market of pediatric patients between 2.5 and 10 kilograms.

Price Performance

Over the past six months, Medtronic has outperformed the industry it belongs to. The stock has risen 14% compared with the industry's 8% rise.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Currently, Medtronic carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Hologic, Inc. (HOLX - Free Report) , Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO - Free Report) and ResMed Inc. (RMD - Free Report) .

Hologic’s long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 17.4%. The company presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Thermo Fisher’s long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 18%. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

ResMed’s long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 14.5%. The company presently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

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