Carna Health, Siemens Healthineers announce partnership to expand kidney disease care

Carna Health and Siemens Healthineers announce partnership to battle CKD: ©Kanruthai - stock.adobe.com

Carna Health announced Tuesday it has entered into a strategic agreement with Siemens Healthineers to accelerate adoption of its artificial intelligence-enabled chronic kidney disease (CKD) platform and expand access to point-of-care testing systems in emerging markets.

The companies said the partnership aims to improve early detection and management of CKD in high-risk and underserved populations by integrating Carna Health’s digital platform with Siemens Healthineers’ global diagnostics infrastructure. The agreement also seeks to streamline workflow processes for CKD, create more efficient referral pathways, and provide timely nephrology care.

“This strategic agreement marks a turning point in the fight against CKD,” said Salvatore Viscomi, co-founder and chief executive officer of Carna Health. “By combining Carna’s AI-enabled platform with global diagnostics expertise from Siemens Healthineers, we’re delivering a unified approach to early identification, continuous monitoring, and proactive management of CKD.”

Bethany Costello, head of global strategy for point-of-care diagnostics at Siemens Healthineers, said the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to expanding digital and diagnostic innovation in regions where such access has historically been limited.

A population-based CKD screening program in Bermuda and Limbe, Cameroon, is currently enrolling 30,000 individuals across the Southwest and Littoral regions. The effort combines Carna Health’s digital tools with Siemens Healthineers’ epoc Blood Analysis System to deliver point-of-care eGFR testing in communities with limited access to care.

Carna Health said it aims to enroll 25 million people in CKD screening programs worldwide by 2030, with plans to expand its platform to screen for other cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes. The company is an authorized reseller of Siemens Healthineers diagnostic solutions and holds exclusive digital health distribution rights for CKD-related products in several markets, including the Philippines, Bermuda and Cameroon.

Recent developments in chronic kidney disease care

Chronic kidney disease remains a major global health challenge, affecting an estimated 850 million people worldwide. The condition is often asymptomatic in its early stages, making timely detection and intervention essential for slowing progression and preventing end-stage kidney disease.

Recent advances in CKD care have centered on three key areas: earlier diagnosis, improved disease management, and expanded access to care. In diagnostics, newer point-of-care technologies and AI-driven decision support tools are helping clinicians detect kidney dysfunction more quickly and accurately, even in low-resource settings. By bringing testing closer to patients, these tools are reducing the delays that traditionally occur when laboratory infrastructure is limited.

On the therapeutic side, treatment strategies have expanded beyond traditional approaches such as controlling blood pressure and blood sugar. In recent years, new classes of medications have demonstrated significant benefits in slowing CKD progression and reducing the risk of cardiovascular complications, which are common in patients with kidney disease. Researchers continue to explore therapies that target inflammation and fibrosis, two processes thought to play central roles in kidney damage.

Equally important are innovations in care delivery. Community-based screening programs, telehealth platforms, and integrated digital health tools are enabling earlier detection and ongoing monitoring, particularly in rural and underserved regions. These efforts are aimed at overcoming long-standing barriers such as distance from specialized care, shortages of nephrologists, and limited health system resources.

Experts emphasize that CKD management increasingly requires a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating primary care providers, endocrinologists, cardiologists and nephrologists. By identifying high-risk individuals sooner and connecting them to comprehensive care, health systems hope to reduce both the human and financial toll of CKD, which is projected to rise as populations age and rates of diabetes and hypertension increase globally.