Infusion Pumps

Drugs that are effective in even the smallest doses are often no longer administered using a needle. With syringe pumps, these highly effective substances can be administered via a vein over longer periods of time. Even the smallest quantities can be precisely dosed. Fresenius Kabi's medical devices are also used to administer infusion solutions. Syringe pumps are used for the precise administration of drugs even in very small quantities (0.1 to 200 milliliters per hour), while volumetric infusion pumps are used for the precise administration of larger quantities (1 to 1,500 milliliters per hour). Fresenius Kabi is among the leading manufacturers of pumps for infusion and clinical nutrition in Europe.

Nutrition Systems

Patients who are either unable to eat, prohibited from eating, or unwilling to eat require individualized nutritional therapy to prevent malnutrition and thereby influence the course of the disease in a positive way. Enteral nutrition is generally to be preferred if the function of the gastrointestinal tract is still intact and if there are no contraindications. The advantages of enteral nutrition therapy are the physiological routes of application, direct supply to the intestine, maintenance of the mucosa and barrier function, lower complication rates and high cost-effectiveness. Enteral nutrition can also be combined with parenteral nutrition for critically ill patients. To ensure that the required nutrients can be administered, Fresenius Kabi offers a wide range of medical products for both inpatient and outpatient care. Patients in intensive care, gastroenterology, surgery, oncology, and pediatrics can be individually supplied with latex- and plasticizer-free transnasal and percutaneous feeding tubes, nutrition pumps, pump and gravity transfer devices including all supplies.

Please visit Clinical Nutrition for further information on parenteral nutrition.

• The CONVINCE Trial study compares high-dose hemodiafiltration with standard, high-flux hemodialysis
• Study revealed a 23% decrease in mortality rates for patients treated with high-volume hemodiafiltration compared to those treated with more commonly used high-flux hemodialysis
• Exploration of methods to increase adoption of hemodiafiltration (HDF) making this therapeutic option accessible to patients 

Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases, participated in groundbreaking research that demonstrates that the mortality rate among kidney failure patients can be significantly reduced through the utilization of high-dose hemodiafiltration technology. Conducted by the CONVINCE consortium and led by the University Medical Center Utrecht, this international, randomized controlled trial marks a crucial milestone in comparing high-dose hemodiafiltration with standard, high-flux hemodialysis.

The study's findings reveal that patients treated with high-dose hemodiafiltration experienced a remarkable 23% decrease in mortality rates compared to those treated with the more commonly used high-flux hemodialysis. Hemodialysis represents the most prevalent form of dialysis for treating kidney failure. While techniques have improved over time, conventional high-flux hemodialysis primarily employs diffusion to remove small molecules and fluid from the blood. In contrast, high-dose hemodiafiltration incorporates both diffusion and convection techniques to eliminate larger molecules and effectively manage fluid replacement through convection.

Frank Maddux, MD, Chief Global Medical Officer of Fresenius Medical Care, expressed enthusiasm over the study's results, stating, "This meticulously designed and executed clinical study unquestionably demonstrates the efficacy of high volume hemodiafiltration for a significant portion of kidney failure patients. These findings have the potential to prompt significant changes in the standard treatment approach and, most importantly, contribute to reducing mortality rates among this vulnerable population in need of kidney replacement therapy."

Lead investigator Professor Peter Blankestijn from UMC Utrecht commented, "Our results unequivocally demonstrate the survival benefits of utilizing hemodiafiltration over hemodialysis in the treatment of kidney failure, akin to a remarkable 23% reduction in all-cause mortality. I am optimistic that hemodiafiltration can become the new standard of care.”

Chronic kidney disease poses a pressing global health challenge, affecting an estimated 830 million individuals worldwide, with nearly four million people reliant on dialysis. When the kidneys can no longer perform their vital functions, dialysis is employed to cleanse the blood by eliminating waste products and regulating fluid volume in the body.

The trial encompassed a total of 1,360 patients across 61 centers in eight European countries and followed up for a median of 30 months. Of these, 683 patients received high-dose hemodiafiltration and 677 received high-flux hemodialysis three times a week. The rate of mortality was 7.1 deaths per 100 patient-years in the group randomized to hemodiafiltration compared to 9.2 deaths per 100 patient-years in the hemodialysis group, corresponding to a relative reduction of 23%.

The CONVINCE trial was spearheaded by researchers from UMC Utrecht in collaboration with University College London (UCL), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, University of Bari, The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, and dialysis providers Fresenius Medical Care, Diaverum, and B. Braun Avitum.

While hemodialysis serves as the standard treatment in most countries, hemodiafiltration remains underutilized in certain regions and is yet to be adopted in places like the U.S. Fresenius Medical Care has taken the lead in developing machines that facilitate online fluid generation and innovative techniques for delivering hemodiafiltration.

"Fresenius Medical Care has a rich history of driving innovation in renal care, aimed at improving the lives of kidney disease patients worldwide," emphasized Frank Maddux, MD. "As pioneers in dialysis and membrane technologies, we will continue to explore methods that promote the adoption of hemodiafiltration, making this crucial therapeutic option more readily accessible to the patients we serve."
 

Fresenius Kabi expands its portfolio of critical care medicines by launching Vasopressin Injection, USP, a generic equivalent to Vasostrict®* in the U.S. 

Fresenius Kabi Vasopressin is indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock who remain hypotensive despite fluids and catecholamines. 

* Vasostrict® is a registered trademark of Par Pharmaceutical.
 

Fresenius Kabi expands its portfolio of critical care medicines by launching Vasopressin Injection, USP, a generic equivalent to Vasostrict®* in the U.S. 

Fresenius Kabi Vasopressin is indicated to increase blood pressure in adults with vasodilatory shock who remain hypotensive despite fluids and catecholamines. 

* Vasostrict® is a registered trademark of Par Pharmaceutical.
 

Under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this press release may be deemed to be offering material of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (“FME”). FME has filed a registration statement on Form F-4 under the Securities Act with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including an information statement/prospectus constituting a part thereof. FME SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE INFORMATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS THAT IS PART OF THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED CONVERSION DESCRIBED THEREIN. The final information statement/prospectus will be distributed to FME shareholders. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the disclosure documents (when they are available) and other documents filed by FME with the SEC at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or from Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, Attention: Investor Relations, Else-Kröner-Straße 1, 61352 Bad Homburg v.d.H., Germany.

Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases, today announced the candidates who will be proposed for election to the Supervisory Board of the new Fresenius Medical Care AG in the Extraordinary General Meeting on July 14, 2023. As published in February 2023, the Extraordinary General Meeting will also decide on the Company's plans to change its legal form from the current KGaA (Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien) into a German stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) with a two-tier governance, including a Management Board and a co-determined Supervisory Board.

Fresenius Medical Care and its shareholders will benefit from the proposed new legal structure as it removes layers from the governance structure and allows for an even more focused, faster and agile decision making. The change of legal form will also free up executive and management capacity and avoid potential conflicts of interest. The new set-up will provide Fresenius Medical Care with unrestricted access to capital markets for financing purposes and will ensure independent decisions on financial and dividend policies. Furthermore, the proposed governance structure will particularly strengthen the rights of free float shareholders.  

Proposed for election to the Supervisory Board are:

• Shervin J. Korangy, President & CEO at BVI Medical. He previously was a senior executive at Novartis Group, AG and a Managing Director at The Blackstone Group, Inc. Korangy holds U.S. citizenship.
• Dr. Marcus Kuhnert, CFO at Merck KGaA until the end of June 2023. Prior to that, he was CFO of the Laundry & Homecare division at Henkel. Kuhnert holds German and U.S. citizenship.
• Gregory Sorensen, M.D., CEO at DeepHealth, Chairman of the Board of Directors at IMRIS and a member of the Supervisory Boards of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA and of Fresenius Medical Care Management AG since 2021. From 2011 to 2015, he was CEO of Siemens Healthcare North America. Sorensen holds U.S. citizenship.
• Pascale Witz, President at PWH Advisors and a member of the Supervisory Boards of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA and of Fresenius Medical Care Management AG since 2016. The French citizen previously held the positions of Executive Vice President at Sanofi, and President & CEO of GE Healthcare Pharmaceutical Diagnostics.

“All four candidates are highly qualified and independent,” said outgoing Supervisory Board Chairman Dr. Dieter Schenk. “The mix of two current and two new Supervisory Board members also gives us a good balance between continuity and fresh views. Our goal is to have a best-in-class, diverse Supervisory Board with a broad range of skills and backgrounds.”

Michael Sen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Medical Care Management AG and CEO of Fresenius, said: “The four candidates proposed for election have broad experience in different areas of the healthcare sector and in all major markets, including the U.S. Their expertise and international background will be a valuable support for us in the transformation of Fresenius Medical Care and the successful development of the Company.”

In total, the co-determined Supervisory Board of the future Fresenius Medical Care AG will consist of twelve members. In addition to the four members to be elected by the Extraordinary General Meeting, Fresenius, which holds 32.2 percent of the ordinary share capital, will have the right to appoint two members to the Supervisory Board. Fresenius will appoint its CEO Michael Sen and its CFO Sara Hennicken to the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Medical Care AG. The other six members of the Supervisory Board will be elected by the employees.

The Company proposes a four-year election period for the Supervisory Board of the future Fresenius Medical Care AG. The board will decide independently on its chairmanship. It is intended that Michael Sen will stand for election as Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

The full agenda for the Extraordinary General Meeting on July 14, 2023 was published today. It can be found on our website: https://www.freseniusmedicalcare.com/en/agm