NxStage Kidney Care and Dialyze Direct to Provide On-Site Dialysis to Skilled Nursing Facility Patients in Ohio

LAWRENCE, Mass., Aug. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- NxStage Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTM), a leading medical technology company focused on advancing renal care, today announced that its NxStage Kidney Care subsidiary is partnering with Dialyze Direct, a leader in the area of geriatric dialysis and an innovative provider of staff-assisted home hemodialysis to patients in SNFs, to better support the needs of Ohio's skilled nursing facility (SNF) population with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Dialyze Direct will be implementing its unique model of care specifically designed for geriatric SNF patients to provide on-site dialysis using the NxStage System One.

On-site dialysis performed at a SNF removes organizational and operational challenges for dialysis centers and care facilities, while reducing or eliminating the stress placed on patients during transportation. The portability of the NxStage System One makes it possible to provide SNF patients with access to on-site dialysis, including more frequent hemodialysis, versus transporting them, often by ambulance, to an off-site dialysis center three times per week. Studies of SNF patients performing on-site more frequent hemodialysis have shown reductions in both mortality and hospitalizations.(1-3) In addition, by performing dialysis treatments on-site, patients have greater flexibility and are able to attend scheduled meals, rehabilitation therapy, and social activities.

"Our mission is to deliver innovative and compassionate dialysis care to geriatric patients in skilled nursing facilities and we realized we needed an alternative strategy to meet the growing demand for our services in certain states such as Ohio where we do not yet have an operating presence," said Henry Kauftheil, Chairman of Dialyze Direct. "NxStage is an ideal partner to help us expand our footprint and bring our much-needed services to SNF patients."

"We believe the SNF market represents an opportunity to improve outcomes and quality of life for skilled nursing patients, as well as to improve overall costs of care, by reducing transportation costs and re-hospitalization rates," said Jeff Burbank, CEO and Founder of NxStage Medical. "We look forward to working with Dialyze Direct to address unmet needs in SNF ESRD patient care."

Service providers, skilled nursing administrators or others interested in learning more about on-site dialysis with the System One at skilled nursing facilities can visit www.nxstage.com/snf for more information.

The NxStage System One is a prescription device and, like all medical devices, involves some risks. The risks associated with hemodialysis treatments in any environment include, but are not limited to, high blood pressure, fluid overload, low blood pressure, heart-related issues, and vascular access complications. The medical devices used in hemodialysis therapies may add additional risks including air entering the bloodstream, and blood loss due to clotting or accidental disconnection of the blood tubing set. Patients should consult with their doctor to understand the risks and responsibilities of home and/or more frequent hemodialysis using the NxStage System One. Additionally, the reported benefits of home and/ or more frequent hemodialysis may not be experienced by all patients. Patients and providers are encouraged to contact their state regulators to discuss state-specific regulations that may impact dialysis in the skilled nursing facility setting.

About the NxStage System One
The NxStage System One is the first and only truly portable hemodialysis system cleared specifically by the FDA for home hemodialysis and home nocturnal hemodialysis. The simplicity and revolutionary size (just over a foot tall) are intended to allow convenient use in patients' homes and give patients the freedom to travel with their therapy. When combined with the NxStage PureFlow(TM) SL Dialysis Preparation System, patients are able to further simplify, using ordinary tap water to create dialysis fluid on-site on-demand. Unlike conventional hemodialysis systems, the System One family of products requires no special infrastructure to operate. Under the guidance of their physician, patients can use the NxStage System One, with their trained partners, where, how and when it best meets their needs, including while they are sleeping - at home or on vacation and at a medically appropriate treatment frequency. In addition, NxStage's Nx2me Connected Health® platform collects important NxStage System One and patient information for flexible viewing, monitoring and reporting that may improve patient management and patient retention, as well as simplify alternative site care. The System One is also used to provide a range of flexible therapy options in more traditional care settings such as hospitals, dialysis centers and skilled nursing facilities. Its safety and performance have been demonstrated by experience with more than 14 million treatments with over 30 thousand patients around the world. www.nxstage.com.

About Dialyze Direct, LLC
Dialyze Direct LLC provides innovative and compassionate staff-assisted home hemodialysis services to the geriatric patients residing in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Dialyze Direct's core mission is to improve the dignity and quality of life of geriatric patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), while significantly reducing the overall costs of these patients to the healthcare system. Dialyze Direct delivers dialysis care with a gentler form of treatment built around more frequent dialysis sessions using the NxStage System One with modified treatment protocols. Dialyze Direct created a unique model of care combining direct oversight with enhanced and proprietary protocols and procedures specifically designed for geriatric ESRD patients in SNFs, through which Dialyze Direct has been able to achieve significantly improved outcomes in this population segment while reducing overall payor costs by eliminating transportation and minimizing re-hospitalizations. The Dialyze Direct model is also breaking new ground in aiming to reduce the disruption the geriatric ESRD patient demographic makes on SNF operations. Dialyze Direct currently provides services in Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

About NxStage Kidney Care
NxStage Kidney Care, Inc., a subsidiary of NxStage Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTM), is innovating a dialysis care model that is intended to support and encourage patient-centered care and provide enhanced access to the life-changing benefits of home therapy as well as flexible in-center options. By leveraging NxStage's home leadership and the innovative technology of its System One, NxStage Kidney Care is committed to helping patients take control of their dialysis and to allowing physicians the flexibility to prescribe what is truly best for their patients. For more information, please visit www.nxstagekidneycare.com or call (866) 694-2707.

About NxStage Medical
NxStage Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTM) is a leading medical technology company, headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, that develops, manufactures and markets innovative products for the treatment of ESRD and acute kidney failure. NxStage also has established a small number of dialysis clinics committed to the development of innovative care delivery models for patients with ESRD. For more information on NxStage and its products and services, please visit the Company's websites at www.nxstage.com and www.nxstagekidneycare.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this release that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking, and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including those that are discussed in NxStage's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. NxStage is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media contact:
Kristen K. Sheppard, Esq.
ksheppard@nxstage.com

References:
1. Weinhandl ED, Lie J, Gilbertson DT, Arneson TJ, Collins AJ. Survival in daily home hemodialysis and matched thrice-weekly in-center hemodialysis patients. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012;23(5):895-904.
2. Yang A, Lee WY, Hocking K, Xelay Acumen, Inc., Affiliated Dialysis. Survival comparison of daily home hemodialysis vs conventional dialysis in the nursing home setting. Nephrol News Issues. 2015;29(2):25-27, 30-31.
3. Bednar B. Improving Kidney Care for Residents in Nursing Facilities: A National Model. Nephrol News Issues. 2016:30-34.

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SOURCE NxStage Medical, Inc.