Nutromics Demonstrates World-First Real-Time Creatinine Monitoring in Humans Using DNA-Based Wearable Sensors
Nutromics has presented what it describes as world-first real-time measurements of creatinine in humans using DNA-based sensors, marking a significant development in the potential application of wearable technology for continuous kidney function monitoring. The data, presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s (ASN) Kidney Week 2026, were collected from healthy participants wearing the company’s Lab-on-a-Patch™ platform. The findings support further development of continuous biomarker monitoring to help detect and quantify changes in renal function.
The Australian medical technology company is also expanding the clinical evaluation of its wearable patch into intensive care unit (ICU) settings through hospital-based clinical studies in Australia. These developments reflect Nutromics’ broader effort to bring real-time molecular monitoring into clinical practice, where timely information about changes in a patient’s condition could help healthcare professionals make more informed treatment decisions.
Creatinine is an established biomarker routinely measured in hospitals to assess kidney function. However, conventional monitoring typically depends on blood collection and laboratory testing at specific intervals. This approach can leave gaps between measurements, potentially delaying the identification of changes in renal function, particularly among critically ill patients or individuals receiving medications that may damage the kidneys.
By measuring creatinine continuously, Nutromics aims to provide clinicians with more frequent information about changes in this important biomarker. The company believes the technology could support earlier recognition of developing kidney problems and improve the monitoring of patients who require close clinical supervision.
The latest findings also represent an expansion of Nutromics’ DNA-based sensing technology from drug monitoring to the measurement of endogenous biomarkers produced naturally by the human body.
DNA-based sensing technology expands into kidney function monitoring
Nutromics is developing a molecular sensing platform that uses DNA-based sensors to detect and measure target molecules. According to the company, its technology has demonstrated the ability to monitor more than 24 targets in animal models, providing a foundation for further development across a range of clinical applications.
Earlier in 2026, Nutromics reported real-time drug monitoring in humans in a peer-reviewed study published in Nature Biotechnology. The research represented an important milestone for the company’s wearable sensing platform and supported its broader strategy of developing continuous monitoring capabilities for clinically relevant molecules.
The creatinine measurements presented at ASN Kidney Week 2026 represent the first endogenous biomarker that Nutromics has monitored in real time in humans. Unlike therapeutic drugs administered to patients, endogenous biomarkers are substances naturally produced or present within the body that can provide information about physiological processes and organ function.
The ability to measure these biomarkers continuously could expand the potential applications of wearable molecular sensing beyond medication management. Nutromics has indicated that additional studies involving new biomarker sensors are planned as it continues to develop the platform.
The company’s Lab-on-a-Patch™ is designed to bring molecular sensing capabilities into a wearable format. By combining sensor technology with a patch-based system, the platform seeks to provide measurements without requiring clinicians to collect a separate blood sample for every assessment.
Although the initial creatinine data were collected from healthy participants, further clinical studies will be important to determine how reliably the technology measures changes in kidney function among patients with acute illness, chronic conditions, or medication-related risks.
Creatinine monitoring remains essential for identifying kidney injury
Creatinine is widely used as an indicator of kidney function because its concentration in the blood can change when the kidneys’ ability to filter waste products is impaired. Clinicians routinely use creatinine measurements alongside other clinical information to assess renal function, identify possible kidney injury, and monitor patients over time.
A rising creatinine level can indicate declining kidney function. This is particularly important in patients experiencing severe infections, including sepsis, as well as individuals with conditions such as diabetes that can increase the risk of kidney complications.
Medication-related kidney injury is another important concern. Certain medicines can affect renal function, making it necessary to monitor patients carefully during treatment. Vancomycin, an antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial infections, is one example of a medication associated with potential kidney toxicity.
In these clinical situations, changes in kidney function can influence treatment decisions, including medication dosing and the need for additional assessment. However, the ability to identify a developing problem depends partly on how frequently relevant laboratory measurements are obtained.
Traditional creatinine monitoring generally involves blood draws followed by laboratory analysis. While these tests remain an established part of clinical care, measurements taken at intervals may not capture every change occurring between assessments.
Continuous monitoring could potentially provide a more detailed picture of how creatinine levels change over time. Instead of relying exclusively on individual measurements, clinicians may be able to evaluate trends and identify changes that warrant further investigation.
Nutromics believes this approach could be particularly valuable in hospital environments where a patient’s condition can change rapidly and timely clinical decisions are essential.
Acute kidney injury creates a substantial clinical and economic burden
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant complication among hospitalized patients. The condition involves a sudden decline in kidney function and can occur in association with severe illness, infection, surgery, dehydration, or exposure to certain medications.
According to the information cited by Nutromics, AKI affects approximately 10%–20% of hospitalized patients in the United States. The condition has also been associated with as much as US$24 billion in additional hospitalization costs annually.
These figures highlight the clinical and economic importance of identifying kidney injury as early as possible. AKI can complicate the management of patients who are already seriously ill, potentially requiring additional investigations, treatment adjustments, longer hospital stays, or more intensive care.
For clinicians, detecting a deterioration in renal function early may provide an opportunity to investigate the cause, review medication regimens, and adjust treatment where appropriate. Nevertheless, creatinine measurements must be interpreted in the context of the patient’s overall clinical condition, as changes in the biomarker do not independently establish the cause of kidney dysfunction.
Continuous creatinine monitoring could help address some limitations associated with intermittent testing by providing additional information about the timing and direction of biomarker changes.
Nutromics’ approach is intended to supplement existing clinical assessment rather than replace established diagnostic procedures. Further studies will be required to determine whether continuous measurements can improve the recognition of AKI, influence clinical decisions, and lead to better patient outcomes.
Company highlights the potential of continuous biomarker measurement
Peter Vranes, chief executive officer and co-founder of Nutromics, emphasized the established role of creatinine in hospital medicine and the potential value of obtaining more frequent measurements.
Vranes noted that creatinine is among the biomarkers most commonly measured in hospitals and is included in many routine laboratory panels. Because clinicians already use the marker to guide patient assessment and treatment, he said the company’s objective is to change how frequently healthcare professionals can access information about its levels and trends.
He explained that continuous measurement could give clinicians an opportunity to respond more quickly when creatinine levels begin to change.
The potential advantage lies in the availability of more detailed information over time. Rather than waiting for a subsequent laboratory result, healthcare teams could potentially identify a developing trend earlier and determine whether further assessment or intervention is necessary.
However, the practical value of this approach will depend on the accuracy and reliability of the wearable measurements, the ability to interpret changes appropriately, and the extent to which the additional information improves clinical decision-making.
The company’s ongoing clinical evaluations are expected to help establish how the platform performs in different patient populations and healthcare settings.
Combining creatinine and vancomycin monitoring on one patch
An important element of Nutromics’ development strategy is the potential to measure multiple clinically relevant molecules using a single wearable device.
The company’s first product under development is a sensor designed for therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin. The antibiotic is used to treat serious bacterial infections, but its potential to cause kidney injury makes careful monitoring important during treatment.
Clinical guidance recommends monitoring kidney function during vancomycin therapy, alongside appropriate therapeutic drug monitoring. Clinicians need to consider both the amount of medication in the body and the patient’s ability to tolerate treatment, particularly when renal function changes during an infection or hospitalization.
Nutromics plans to develop a multiplex version of its Lab-on-a-Patch™ that can measure both creatinine and vancomycin on the same patch.
Multiplexing refers to the ability to detect multiple target molecules using a single analytical platform. In this application, combining drug concentration measurements with an endogenous biomarker could provide clinicians with complementary information about medication exposure and kidney function.
For example, vancomycin concentration measurements could help inform whether drug exposure is within an appropriate therapeutic range, while creatinine trends could provide additional information about changing renal function. Used together and interpreted alongside clinical findings, these measurements could potentially support more individualized medication management.
The intended objective is to make vancomycin treatment safer and more effective by providing more timely information to guide clinical decisions.
Nutromics previously demonstrated its ability to multiplex using animal data shared in 2025. The company’s plans to combine creatinine and vancomycin monitoring build on that work, although further validation will be necessary to establish the performance and clinical utility of the integrated system in humans.
Potential applications beyond intensive care
While the latest creatinine measurements were obtained from healthy participants, Nutromics sees potential opportunities to extend continuous biomarker monitoring to vulnerable patient populations beyond the hospital.
Dr Robert McLeay, chief product strategy officer at Nutromics, highlighted the importance of creatinine as a clinical biomarker and the potential benefits of tracking it in real time.
McLeay explained that continuous measurement could eventually support more vigilant monitoring of patients who face increased risks of kidney complications, including individuals taking immunosuppressants or undergoing chemotherapy.
Some patients receiving these treatments require close monitoring because their underlying conditions, treatment regimens, or associated medications may affect kidney function. More frequent information about relevant biomarkers could potentially help clinicians recognize changes and decide when additional assessment is appropriate.
The company is also deploying its wearable patch in ICU settings through hospital-based clinical studies in Australia. These studies will contribute to the evaluation of the technology in environments where patients may experience rapid changes in their clinical status and require intensive monitoring.
Moving from measurements in healthy participants to clinical use in critically ill patients will be an important step in assessing the platform’s broader potential. ICU studies may help establish how the patch performs under real-world clinical conditions and whether continuous measurements can be incorporated into existing monitoring workflows.
Any future use outside hospitals would similarly require evidence that the technology performs reliably in the intended patient populations and provides meaningful clinical benefits.
Regulatory progress and development timeline
The latest Kidney Week findings follow Nutromics’ announcement that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Device Designation (BDD) to its first product under development, a wearable device intended for vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring.
The designation is an important regulatory development for the company as it advances its technology toward potential clinical adoption. However, Breakthrough Device Designation does not constitute FDA approval or authorization to market the product.
Nutromics has stated that the patch remains for investigational use only and has not been authorized by the FDA for commercial distribution. The company is targeting a potential U.S. launch in early 2028, subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory authorization.
The creatinine monitoring capability represents an additional development area for the company’s platform and should be distinguished from the vancomycin monitoring product that received the designation.
Further clinical validation and regulatory review will be needed before the creatinine-sensing technology or a multiplex version can be used commercially, where applicable.
Advancing real-time molecular monitoring
Nutromics’ presentation at ASN Kidney Week 2026 highlights the potential expansion of wearable molecular sensing from therapeutic drug monitoring to continuous assessment of endogenous biomarkers.
By demonstrating real-time creatinine measurements in humans, the company has taken a step toward investigating whether continuous biomarker monitoring can provide clinically useful information about changing kidney function.
The proposed combination of creatinine and vancomycin monitoring could be particularly relevant to medication safety, while ongoing hospital-based studies will help evaluate the patch in more demanding clinical environments.
Nevertheless, additional research is needed to establish measurement accuracy, reliability in patients with kidney dysfunction, and the extent to which continuous monitoring improves outcomes compared with standard laboratory testing.
As Nutromics advances its clinical and product development programmes, its central objective remains to provide healthcare professionals with more timely molecular information that could support earlier recognition of clinical changes and more informed treatment decisions.
About Nutromics: Nutromics is an Australian-founded advanced monitoring company that has built a wearable, DNA-based platform for continuous molecular monitoring. Its DNA-based sensors, integrated with minimally invasive microneedles, are designed to sense multiple proteins, drugs, metabolites, and hormones in real time. Nutromics is advancing toward regulatory clearance and commercial launch of its first product, with operations in Australia and the United States. The company’s vision is a world with zero preventable deaths due to a lack of continuous molecular monitoring.