With Baxter launching new operations in India, what are the major objectives & plans?
In February this year we were proud to announce that Vantive, formerly the Baxter Kidney Care segment, has launched as a new standalone vital organ therapy company. Vantive builds on a 70-year legacy of kidney care leadership and innovation. As an independent company, we deliver innovative products, digitally-enhanced solutions and advanced services to support dialysis at home and in the clinic, as well as critical care therapy to support the kidney and other vital organs in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting. The Asia Pacific region contributes about one third to Vantive’s $4 billion in global revenue and India is an emerging and growing market for our company.
How is Vantive different from the current facilities of Baxter that are already established in India(in terms of manufacturing, R&D centres?
As a new standalone company, Vantive is singularly focused on empowering patients and care teams with more flexible, collaborative and accessible care options. Our mission is to extend lives and expand possibilities. We’re proud to continue our investment in India including our research and development centres and technical services in Gurgaon and Bengaluru. Looking ahead, we plan to invest further in R&D of technologies and solutions designed to elevate the therapy experience, expand efficiencies for care teams, and enhance outcomes for patients. We are dedicated to enabling longer, fuller lives for patients everywhere.
What are the hiring plans at Vantive this year & beyond? Are you looking for certain skills/expertise in India?
The new Vantive company employs about 23,000 employees globally. Across India we employ more than 850 staff across 2 office, R&D and technical service sites in Gurgaon and Bengaluru. Patients in more than 100 countries around the world interact with Vantive’s people, solutions and services over 1 million times each day. We remain committed to ensuring we are well equipped to meet the needs of local markets, including in India, to increase access to vital organ therapies – our talented team is central to this commitment.
What new products/technologies will be launched for the Indian market through Vantive?
We were excited to join with the International Society of Nephrology at the recent World Congress of Nephrology in New Delhi to unveil PrismaLung+, our latest innovation for the intensive care setting. PrismaLung+ leverages our PrisMax continuous renal replacement therapy to introduce multi-organ support for patients in the ICU through Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal (ECCO2R). Beyond the ICU, a key focus for our team in India is the continued launch of digital solutions that optimise care quality and efficiency.
For example, we’re seeing increasing access to our remote patient monitoring technology Sharesource that supports patients on home peritoneal dialysis to stay connected with their clinicians.
How do you plan to strengthen your presence in the Indian healthcare market? Are you exploring new partnerships/collaborations?
The focus of our innovation at Vantive is to help therapy fit more easily into providers’ practices and patients’ lives. We believe partnerships between industry experts, government officials, clinicians and insurers are critical to increasing access to vital organ therapies and home dialysis in India. We were proud to support the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis at this year’s WCN event in India to advance the International Home Dialysis Consortium manifesto that advocates for home dialysis globally. Home dialysis policies and programs can help to make sure patients have access to the right therapy to meet their clinical needs and live a fulfilling life on dialysis.
What are the current challenges facing the kidney care market in India, and how do you plan to address those through Vantive?
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is extremely common, with 1 in 10 of the adult population having some form of kidney damage. Every year, about 220,000 new patients of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) get added in India, resulting in additional demand for 34 million dialysis every year, according to India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Haemodialysis (HD) has been the primary therapy in India, with about 70 per cent of patients receiving HD, 12 per cent receiving peritoneal dialysis and 18 per cent receiving a transplant. At the recent WCN event in India, we were honoured to bring together stakeholders from India and Thailand to share learnings from the recent Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) First policy announcement in Thailand with a goal to discuss opportunities for similar policies and programmes in India. This includes supporting the International Home Dialysis Consortium manifesto that advocates for home dialysis globally.
Are you planning to enter or expand in other Asian countries as well? Please share details.
Approximately 4 million people worldwide receive dialysis treatment for chronic kidney disease. Patients across more than 100 countries around the world interact with our Vantive people, solutions and services over 1 million times each day. This represents over 1 million opportunities to impact the patient experience every day. We see opportunities to support more clinicians and care teams across Asia as governments and healthcare systems work to address the burden of chronic kidney disease.
Dr Manbeena Chawla
