SphingoTec to Present Novel Acute Care Biomarkers and Point-of-Care Diagnostic Solutions at Medica 2019
Hennigsdorf, Germany, November 15, 2019
- SphingoTec GmbH (“sphingotec”) today announced that latest advancements in the development of its portfolio of novel biomarkers and diagnostic solutions will be showcased at Medica 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany. To improve the management of critically ill patients in acute care settings through timely diagnostic, sphingotec has started making available novel biomarkers that complement a broad menu of existing standard of care tests on its Nexus IB10 point-of-care platform.
Sepsis, septic shock, and acute failure of vital organs such as heart and kidney, are diagnostically underserved medical conditions in critical care settings. Based on a deep understanding of the disease biology, sphingotec has developed novel biomarkers to tackle these unmet needs through diagnostic solutions that allow early identification and monitoring of critically ill patients. sphingotec’s near-term pipeline of novel assays on the Nexus IB10 platform includes:
IB10 sphingotest® DPP3 launched in August 2019 is the first CE-IVD point-of-care biomarker test able to quantify DPP3 blood-plasma levels, a novel and unique biomarker for assessing cardio-renal pathway disruptions leading to short-term organ dysfunction 1, 2. DPP3 is at the core of a novel disease mechanism that has a causal role in cardiac and renal dysfunction.
IB10 sphingotest® penKid®, to be launched in early 2020 as a CE-IVD test, is the first point-of-care assay for Proenkephalin, a unique and proprietary biomarker for real-time assessment of kidney function. Previous studies on more than 30,000 critically ill patients admitted to emergency departments (EDs) or intensive care units (ICUs) with congestive heart failure 3 or sepsis 4 demonstrated that Proenkephalin levels change dynamically with the actual kidney function independently from comorbidities or inflammation 5. The biomarker allows monitoring of renal function in real-time and facilitates earlier detection and more precise monitoring of acute kidney injury than the current standard-of-care.
IB10 sphingotest® bio-ADM® to be launched in mid-2020, is a first point-of-care assay for bioactive Adrenomedullin, a unique biomarker for real-time assessment of endothelial function [6]. Data from more than 20,000 patients confirm that measuring bio-ADM® levels adds value to clinical decision making in ICUs and EDs. Increased blood levels of bioactive Adrenomedullin have been demonstrated to precede endothelial dysfunction, vascular leakage subsequent systemic vasodilation and shock in sepsis 7. Furthermore, it has been shown that elevated levels of bioactive Adrenomedullin indicate the loss of endothelial function leading to congestion in heart failure [8]. IB10 sphingotest® bio-ADM® not only supports earlier clinical interventions but also the monitoring of treatment success.
The Nexus IB10 point-of-care technology provides test results on whole blood sample in only 20 minutes and can be flexibly deployed in emergency departments, intensive care units, and any laboratory setting. In addition to the increasing menu of assays for proprietary biomarkers, the platform features a broad menu of 8 rapid tests for acute care settings including parameters such as the Troponin-I, NT-proBNP, and D-Dimer. Following the acquisition of Nexus Dx Inc., San Diego, USA, in 2018 from the Korean manufacturer Samsung, sphingotec markets the Nexus IB10 point-of-care platform through its continuously expanding distribution network.
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Visit sphingotec at Medica 2019
sphingotec showcases its Nexus IB10 instrument and test portfolio as well as its proprietary biomarkers for acute care conditions at Medica 2019 and welcomes healthcare professionals as well as distributors and diagnostics and pharmaceutical industry representatives interested in partnering at its booth G52 in hall 3.
References
[1] Takagi et. al. (2019) Circulating dipeptidyl-peptidase 3 and alteration in hemodynamics in cardiogenic shock: Results from the OptimaCC Trial, European Journal of Heart Failure
[2] Deniau et. al. (2019) Circulating dipeptidyl peptidase-3 is a myocardial depressant factor: DPP3 inhibition rapidly and sustainably improves hemodynamics, European Journal of Heart Failure
[3] Siong Chan (2018) Proenkephalin in heart failure
[4] Hollinger et. al. (2018) Proenkephalin A 119-159 (Penkid) Is an Early Biomarker of Septic Acute Kidney Injury: The Press Release Kidney in Sepsis and Septic Shock (Kid-SSS) Study
[5] Beunders et. al. (2017) Proenkephalin (PENK) as a novel biomarker for kidney function.
[6] Geven et. al. (2018) Geven 2018 Vascular effects of adrenomedullin and the anti-adrenomedullin antibody Adrecizumab in sepsis
[7] Mebazaa et. al. (2018) Circulating adrenomedullin estimates survival and reversibility of organ failure in sepsis: the prospective observational multinational Adrenomedullin and Outcome in Sepsis and Septic Shock-1
(AdrenOSS-1) study
[8] ter Maaten et. al.(2019) Bio-adrenomedullin as a marker of congestion in patients with new-onset and worsening heart failure
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About sphingotec
SphingoTec GmbH (“sphingotec”; Hennigsdorf by Berlin, Germany) develops and markets innovative in vitro diagnostic IVD tests for novel and proprietary biomarkers for the diagnosis, prediction and monitoring of acute medical conditions, such as acute heart failure, circulatory shock, and acute kidney injury in order to support patient management and provide guidance for treatment strategies. sphingotec’s assay portfolio includes sphingotest® bio-ADM® the assay for bioactive adrenomedullin, a unique biomarker for real-time assessment of vascular integrity in conditions like sepsis or congestive heart failure, sphingotest® penKid®, the assay for proenkephalin, a unique biomarker for real-time assessment of kidney function and sphingotest® DPP3, an assay for Dipeptidyl Peptidase 3, a unique biomarker for signaling pathway disruptions leading to acute organ dysfunction. Along with the Nexus IB10 POC platform by its subsidiary Nexus Dx Inc. (San Diego, CA, USA) acquired from Samsung in 2018, sphingotec markets a standard marker portfolio for acute care. In addition, sphingotec developed a portfolio of novel biomarkers, which predict the risks of obesity, breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
In a prospective, real-world study of 1,436 critically ill ICU patients, proenkephalin A 119–159 (penKid) provided clinically relevant information across AKI severity and during kidney replacement therapy (KRT). PenKid addressed a key unmet need in KRT management by identifying, with greater precision than standard biomarkers, patients at high risk of KRT liberation failure – helping to avoid stopping therapy too early. The findings support a future role for penKid in helping to standardize one of the few intensive care processes where the need for better decision support is widely acknowledged and current tools remain insufficient. Hennigsdorf, Germany – August 27, 2026 – SphingoTec GmbH announces the publication of new real-world data on proenkephalin A 119–159 (penKid) in critically ill patients. The data, published in Annals of Intensive Care, add to the growing body of evidence supporting penKid as a functional biomarker for kidney function and help inform clinical decision-making in AKI and KRT (1). In a prospective observational study at Heidelberg University Hospital, penKid was measured in 1,436 critically ill patients, including 138 patients receiving KRT for liberation analyses. The findings showed that penKid rose with AKI severity and, unlike serum creatinine and urine output, distinguished stage 3 AKI patients with and without an acute KRT requirement. In contrast to serum creatinine, penKid also differentiated acute KRT patients from those with pre-existing kidney failure and on chronic hemodialysis prior ICU admission, even while KRT treatment was ongoing (1). The study further showed that penKid levels increased progressively from the start of KRT, while serum creatinine decreased under treatment. Following successful liberation from KRT, penKid declined, whereas higher levels were seen in cases of liberation failure. In multivariable analysis, penKid was the strongest independent predictor of liberation failure and outperformed serum creatinine. A penKid cut-off of ≥250 pmol/L provided more than 90% specificity for liberation failure (1). By identifying patients at high risk of unsuccessful liberation, penKid may help clinicians make KRT discontinuation decisions more objectively, reduce the risk of stopping therapy too early, and support more standardized decision-making across critical care settings. “These data are important because they address a real-world clinical problem: how to better assess kidney function and support KRT decisions when standard markers fall short,” said Deborah Bergmann, CEO of SphingoTec. “penKid provides clinicians with an objective, real-time measurable parameter that may help support more informed and consistent kidney-related decisions in critical care.” Christian Nusshag, MD, Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, said: “Current markers often leave clinicians with an incomplete picture. Our findings suggest that penKid may help standardize decision-making by providing additional, actionable information on kidney integrity and recovery.” About penKid, scientific insights PenKid is a biomarker that enables real-time assessment of kidney function. Unlike conventional markers such as serum creatinine, penKid levels are not influenced by inflammation or other confounding factors like age or sex. Studies have shown that penKid allows earlier detection of AKI, predicting changes in serum creatinine up to 48 hours before conventional diagnostic criteria are met. This early detection capability is particularly valuable in critically ill patients, including those with sepsis or septic shock. Additionally, penKid has shown potential for monitoring renal recovery under KRT and could help predict successful liberation from KRT. About SphingoTec SphingoTec GmbH ("SphingoTec"; Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany) is a biomarker company focusing on the out-licensing of innovative critical care solutions for diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring acute medical conditions. SphingoTec develops its biomarkers to the commercial stage and partners with IVD companies to make them available on different IVD platforms. SphingoTec's proprietary biomarker portfolio includes Proenkephalin A 119-159 (penKid), a biomarker for the assessment of kidney function in critical diseases, and bioactive Adrenomedullin 1-52 (bio-ADM), a biomarker for the assessment of endothelial function in conditions like acute heart failure. Discover more on www.sphingotec.com References (1) Gabriel DC, Sauer P, Happel R, et al. Proenkephalin A for Assessing Kidney Integrity and Guiding KRT Liberation Decisions in Critically Ill Patients. Annals of Intensive Care. 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.aicoj.2026.100113. Media Contact: Email: press@sphingotec.com Phone +49-3302-20565-0 SphingoTec GmbH Neuendorfstr. 15A 16761 Hennigsdorf, Germany
Hennigsdorf, Germany – August 19, 2026 – Over the coming months, SphingoTec will be present at a series of leading conferences in diagnostics and critical care medicine. These engagements reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to advancing biomarker-driven solutions that support earlier and more precise clinical decision-making in acute and critical care settings. The company’s conference schedule includes: DGAI (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin), September 16-18, 2026, Kassel, Germany Kongress für Nephrologie 2026 (DGFN / Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nephrologie), October 08-11, 2026, Leipzig, Germany ESICM Lives, October 10-14, 2026, Lisbon, Portugal – SphingoTec will co-host a Scientific Symposium together with business partner Boditech, focusing on innovations in sepsis diagnostics. In parallel, new clinical data on penKid in a multicenter sepsis study will be presented as a poster at the ESICM congress. ASN Kidney Week 2026, Denver, CO, USA, October 22–25, 2026 – penKid takes center stage in the poster sessions with the abstract “Proenkephalin Predicts Severe AKI in High-Risk Patients” Medica, November 16-19, 2026, Düsseldorf, Germany – Focus on expanding SphingoTec’s international industry network and advancing partnering opportunities for its biomarker portfolio. DIVI (Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin), December 2-4, 2026, Hamburg, Germany “These events bring together clinicians, researchers, and industry partners who share our goal of improving outcomes for patients in critical care,” said Deborah Bergmann, CEO of SphingoTec. “By presenting our latest data and engaging in direct dialogue, we aim to strengthen collaborations that translate biomarker innovation into real clinical value.” About SphingoTec SphingoTec GmbH ("SphingoTec"; Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany) is a biomarker company focusing on the out-licensing of innovative critical care solutions for diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring acute medical conditions. SphingoTec develops its biomarkers to the commercial stage and partners with IVD companies to make them available on different IVD platforms. SphingoTec's proprietary biomarker portfolio includes Proenkephalin A 119-159 (penKid), a biomarker for the assessment of kidney function in critical diseases, and bioactive Adrenomedullin 1-52 (bio-ADM), a biomarker for the assessment of endothelial function in conditions like acute heart failure. Discover more on www.sphingotec.com Media Contact: Email: press@sphingotec.com Phone +49-3302-20565-0 SphingoTec GmbH Neuendorfstr. 15A 16761 Hennigsdorf, Germany