Dialysis Drug is Cost Effective, Study Shows

A recent study suggests that sevelamer, sold as Renagel by Genzyme, Cambridge, Mass., and a relatively pricey therapy, is actually cost-effective because it appears to reduce heart attacks in patients with kidney diesase.

The study of Renagel, used to lower phosphorus levels in patients with severe kidney disease, was published in the September/October issue of Value in Health. The research, presented at the recent conference of the American Society of Nephrology and the American Heart Association, was performed by the Caro Research Institute based in Concord, MA (UPI).