News release

From:

Australian clinical utility study shows PromarkerD blood test improves decision-making for doctors treating diabetic kidney disease

FAST FACTS:

• Clinical impact: 89% of Australian doctors surveyed believed PromarkerD would improve clinical outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes¹.
• Earlier treatment: High-risk PromarkerD results led to a 20–30% increase in prescribing of renoprotective therapies, including SGLT2 inhibitors, ACE inhibitors, ARBs and statins.
• Optimised care: Low-risk PromarkerD results allowed doctors to reduce unnecessary treatment escalation ensuring safe healthcare utilisation.
• Strong unmet need: 97% of clinicians agreed that early detection of diabetes-related chronic kidney disease remains a major gap in current care.
• Peer-reviewed evidence: The Australian clinical utility study was published in the Internal Medicine Journal and surveyed 178 general practitioners and specialists.

Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd (ASX: PIQ) has announced the publication of a peer-reviewed Australian clinical utility study demonstrating that the PromarkerD blood test provides actionable information that significantly changes how doctors manage patients with type 2 diabetes at risk of diabetes-related chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The study¹, published in the Internal Medicine Journal, assessed how PromarkerD risk scores influenced treatment decisions among Australian clinicians. A total of 178 general practitioners and specialists were surveyed using real-world patient scenarios.

More than 85% of clinicians considered PromarkerD useful for guiding treatment decisions; up to 89% saw potential benefits for patient outcomes and healthcare cost reduction. Nearly all respondents (97%) agreed that early intervention before clinical CKD symptoms is ideal and that there is a significant unmet need for tests to detect early CKD, quantify risk and predict disease progression. PromarkerD addressed this gap by prompting earlier treatment in patients often missed by standard screening. High-risk patients saw a 20–30% increase in prescribing intentions for SGLT2 inhibitors, ACE inhibitors, ARBs and statins, alongside more frequent kidney monitoring (every 3–6 months) and increased specialist referrals. Moderate-risk patients also had significant treatment adjustments, while low-risk scores supported the safe reduction of monitoring intensity.

Proteomics International Managing Director Dr Richard Lipscombe said the findings reinforce the clinical value of PromarkerD in routine practice.

“This Australian study shows PromarkerD delivers information doctors can act on. Earlier, more confident decision-making can help slow disease progression and reduce the need for dialysis or kidney transplantation,” Dr Lipscombe said.

Senior author of the study Professor Merlin Thomas, a nephrologist and Professor of Medicine at Monash University, said PromarkerD provides an opportunity to identify those at risk of chronic kidney disease much earlier before clinical signs of decline are evident.

“When presented with moderate or high-risk PromarkerD results, clinicians in the study were significantly more likely to initiate renoprotective therapies such as SGLT2 inhibitors, increase monitoring frequency, and avoid nephrotoxic medications like ibuprofen than if they did not have the PromarkerD test results. These changes can help prevent or delay progression to kidney failure and reduce the need for interventions such as dialysis or kidney transplant. In contrast, when presented with low-risk PromarkerD results, clinicians appropriately reduced unnecessary treatment escalation and healthcare utilisation.”

Diabetes-related chronic kidney disease affects up to half of people with type 2 diabetes². Australia is home to approximately 1.5 million adults with diabetes³, highlighting the national importance of improved early risk stratification.

PromarkerD is a validated blood test that can predict diabetes-related chronic kidney disease up to four years before clinical symptoms appear.

LINK to publication: https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.70294

References

[1] https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.70294

[2] https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.15765

[3] https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023-Snapshot-Diabetes-in-Australia.pdf

END