- COVID-19, Artificial Intelligence, New Implantable Kidneys, Clinical Trials, 
Precision Medicine

The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the largest independent 
kidney patient organization in the USA, and strategic partner George Washington 
University (GW) School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) shattered their 
virtual engagement record with their second annual Global Summit, "Global 
Kidney Innovations – Expanding Patient Choices & Outcomes," hosted July 16-17, 
2020. The Global Kidney Innovations Summit has become the world's largest 
patient-led kidney innovation conference.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/596158/AAKP_Logo.jpg 

The Summit engaged participants in over 70 countries and included over 20 
special medical and patient expert sessions on: COVID-19 impacts on the kidney 
and kidney patients; artificial intelligence and early disease diagnosis; 
greater diversity in clinical trials; precision medicine; genetic conditions 
such as APOL1; wearable and artificial implantable devices; and advancements in 
home dialysis care. Tens of thousands of patients, clinical trial experts, 
pharmaceutical researchers, medical professionals, and policy leaders worldwide 
participated in the virtual Summit.

The Summit is part of AAKP's Decade of the Kidney(TM) ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=4115992760&u=https%3A%2F%2Faakp.org%2Fdecade-of-the-kidney%2F&a=Decade+of+the+Kidney%E2%84%A2%2C 
), a strategic ten-year global innovation and collaborative initiative 
announced last year upon the signing of the historic bipartisan White House 
Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=4253643087&u=https%3A%2F%2Faakp.org%2Fof-presidents-policies-and-patients%2F&a=Executive+Order+on+Advancing+American+Kidney+Health 
).

The meeting was opened by Dr. Griffin Rodgers, Director of the National 
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and Chief of 
the Molecular and Clinical Hematology Branch at the U.S. National Institutes of 
Health (NIH). Dr. Rodgers is an international voice for patient inclusion in 
research and innovation, a research investigator, and is widely recognized for 
his contributions to the development of hydroxyurea, the first effective and 
FDA-approved therapy for sickle cell anemia. Dr. Rodgers is the recipient of 
the 2018 President's Medal from the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and a 
member of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Board of Directors. 
Watch ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=3647596416&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7komjcRaEOo%26list%3DPLsqCn2yDJM3OZxrsJ4TG3mYzbXlWH8MnN%26index%3D3%26t%3D4s&a=Watch 
) Dr. Rodgers' remarks during the Global Summit.

AAKP President Richard Knight, a 14-year kidney transplant recipient, stated, 
"Kidney disease is a devastating disease that is rapidly expanding and 
negatively impacting patients, families, and economies throughout the world. 
Future innovations in kidney medicine depend upon greater patient engagement 
through fully inclusive clinical trials and research, and the GW School of 
Medicine & Health Sciences is a global leader in this field. I thank Dean Dr. 
Barbara Bass and Dr. Dominic Raj for their respect for patients and their 
efforts to unite patients and clinicians in the fight against all kidney 
diseases." Knight serves on the NIH/NIDDK Advisory Council, is Co-Chair of the 
Strategic Plan Stakeholder Engagement Subgroup, and Co-Chair of the Community 
Engagement Committee for the Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP). Knight 
is a nationally known kidney advocacy leader ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=3526353384&u=https%3A%2F%2Fcjasn.asnjournals.org%2Fcontent%2F13%2F4%2F519%3Futm_source%3DPatient%2520Voice%26utm_medium%3DTwitterAAKP%26utm_campaign%3DAAKPPV&a=kidney+advocacy+leader 
).

Dr. Dominic Raj, Co-Chair of the Global Summit and Professor of Medicine and 
Chief of the Division of Kidney Diseases and Hypertension for GW SMHS, stated, 
"Excellence is never an accident, but a mark of persistence and teamwork. Two 
great institutions with a synergistic goal partnered to take this meeting to 
the Summit, powered by the motivating spirit of kidney patients. This year's 
Summit showcased not only the dire need for innovative discoveries and patient 
engagement, but also the significant progress made in the global arena in the 
field of nephrology."

Paul T. Conway, Co-Chair of the Global Summit and AAKP Chair of Policy and 
Global Affairs, said, "AAKP and our friend Dr. Dominic Raj designed the Global 
Summit on Kidney Innovations to be a distinct international event aimed at 
accelerating cooperation among patients, researchers, clinicians, and policy 
professionals. Kidney patient consumers worldwide demand far greater care 
choice and are well aware of the unique value their patient preference 
information has among innovation leaders driving the next generation of 
diagnostics, devices, and biologics. AAKP is prepared to work with patients 
worldwide to defend and advance the ideas of courageous innovation leaders 
through regulatory, legislative, and payment processes to solve the problem of 
kidney disease." Conway is a 23-year kidney transplant recipient and a former 
home peritoneal dialysis patient. He serves on the NIH/NIDDK External Expert 
Panel for the KPMP, is a member of the ABIM Nephrology Specialty Board, and a 
Patient Voice Editor for The Clinical Journal of the American Society of 
Nephrology (CJASN) ( https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/15/7/907 ).

Knight and Conway are recipients of the 2017 ASN President's Medal ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=1278948245&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidneynews.org%2Fkidney-news%2Fcurrent-issue%2Fkidney-patient-leaders-to-be-recognized-with-the-president%25E2%2580%2599s-medals&a=2017+ASN+President%27s+Medal 
). During the Summit, AAKP announced a strategic partnership with the Renal 
Patient Support Group (RPSG), a United Kingdom (UK) international 
evidence-based patient group. The organizations are committed to accelerating 
links among kidney patients worldwide to elevate patient insights among an 
international network of researchers, clinical trial experts, innovators, 
companies, and government leaders. This ground-breaking announcement is the 
first of its kind in the kidney patient community and signals widening support 
for an International Kidney Consortium ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=3610100486&u=https%3A%2F%2Faakp.org%2Fu-s-and-international-kidney-patients-ally-to-push-research-and-innovation%2F&a=International+Kidney+Consortium 
). 

All 2020 Global Summit presentations are available OnDemand ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2956010-1&h=2263312810&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fplaylist%3Flist%3DPLsqCn2yDJM3OZxrsJ4TG3mYzbXlWH8MnN&a=available+OnDemand 
) and will continue to reach tens of thousands of additional viewers across the 
world to increase the AAKP and GW SMHS reach of this year's Global Summit. The 
Inaugural AAKP/GW event in 2019 engaged just over 50 countries and a combined 
in-person and worldwide audience exceeding 20,000.

AAKP and GW SMHS thanks its 2020 Global Summit sponsors: Amgen, Inc.; CareDx, 
Inc.; Natera; Eurofins Transplant Genomics; Outset Medical; and Retrophin. 
Information on the 2021 Global Summit will be listed at 
https://aakp.org/programs-and-events/2nd-annual-global-summit-global-kidney-innovations-expanding-patient-choices-outcomes/ 
as it becomes available.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Jennifer Duplessie
Marketing & Communications Manager
jduplessie@aakp.org
(813) 400-2394

SOURCE  American Association of Kidney Patients