National Kidney Foundation Innovation Fund Invests in Biohope to Advance Personalized Medicine in Kidney Transplantation
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has announced that its Innovation Fund has invested in Biohope, a biotechnology company focused on precision diagnostics aimed at personalizing immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant recipients and those with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
This investment will enable Biohope to complete clinical validation studies and seek U.S. regulatory approval for its flagship technology, Immunobiogram®, an in vitro diagnostic platform that assists clinicians in personalizing immunosuppressive therapy, thereby reducing complications and extending the function of transplanted kidneys.
Kidney transplant recipients need lifelong immunosuppressive medications to prevent organ rejection, but current treatment methods often rely on trial-and-error adjustments, which can result in serious complications, including rejection, infection, cardiovascular disease, toxicity, and eventual graft loss. Biohope's technology is intended to help physicians customize treatments according to each patient’s immune response.
According to Biohope, as many as 50% of kidney transplant recipients experience graft loss within ten years, highlighting the pressing need for more personalized post-transplant care.
Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient, stated, "A successful kidney transplant is not the end of the journey for patients — it is the beginning of a lifelong balancing act managing medications and their side effects. Biohope's work intends to help clinicians personalize immunosuppressive therapy, reduce complications, protect transplanted kidneys, and ultimately save lives by helping patients keep their transplanted organs functioning longer."
Immunobiogram® assesses how a patient's immune cells react to various immunosuppressive drugs, producing individualized sensitivity maps to aid clinicians in optimizing treatment decisions. Biohope has reported that the platform, already commercially available in Spain, has been assessed in over 1,000 patients across multiple clinical studies. Virginia González, CEO of Biohope, emphasized the significance of NKF's support as instrumental in their efforts toward clinical validation and further regulatory approval.