NKF Aims to Advance Donor Kidney Preservation With Investment in NoMo

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Innovation Fund will invest in the development of Northernmost’s NoMo Kidney Pump.

Most donor kidneys are preserved in static cold storage, which risks organ damage, limits safe storage time, and leads to delayed graft function and other adverse events. Perfusion machines optimize preservation by circulating fluid through the kidney, plus they provide data on viability in real time. However, the machines are too unwieldy and expensive for routine use, although the benefits of continuous perfusion are supported by clinical data.

Boasting a smaller and simpler design, NoMo aims to modernize the preservation and transport of donor kidneys for transplantation. Research suggests that continuous perfusion systems of this type could reduce kidney discards by more than 50% and save tens of billions of dollars in health care costs over the next decade.

“The way donor kidneys are preserved and transported hasn’t changed in decades, and too many viable organs are lost due to outdated methods,” said Kevin Longino, CEO of the NKF and a kidney transplant recipient. “Northernmost’s NoMo Kidney Pump offers a more advanced, portable, and efficient solution to improve transplant outcomes. By investing in this technology, the NKF Innovation Fund is helping to ensure that more kidneys reach patients in optimal condition, reducing waste and saving lives.”

Northernmost CEO Ron Mills stated that his company plans to introduce NoMo to the transplantation community this summer.

Source: Press release