Genzyme UK, a subsidiary of sanofi-aventis group, has received approval from the Scottish Medicine Consortium (SMC) to use Renvela within NHS Scotland as a treatment for hyperphosphataemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Renvela is a medication for the control of serum phosphorous in patients with CKD. Kidney failure causes levels of phosphate to rise in the blood, as the patient’s kidneys are not able to excrete excess phosphate into the urine. Phosphorous build up is also associated with calcification of certain vessels.
Dr Alan Jardine, professor of renal medicine and head of the undergraduate medical school at University of Glasgow, said: “The availability of Renvela offers an efficacious addition to this class of agent, where existing therapies may have limited efficacy and poor patient compliance.”