Kidney health is foundational to overall health and wellness, and UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) startup Santa Barbara Nutrients (SBN) is committed to finding innovative solutions to help maintain human health and to address medical issues by supporting kidney health. Founded in 2020, SBN is conducting research and development to translate cutting-edge science into treatments that benefit kidney and metabolic health.
SBN was co-founded by UCSB molecular biology professor Thomas Weimbs who has been studying kidney conditions for more than 20 years. Over the past few decades, pharmaceutical treatments for kidney diseases have offered limited progress, but Weimbs’ lab discovered that dietary interventions could be effective. Weimbs’ and his co-founder UCSB-alumni Dr. Jacob Torres launched SBN to translate their research into a product that can benefit patients.
SBN’s Ren-Nu program was designed to help manage Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). The program includes a 12-week nutrition and lifestyle plan. A structured, kidney-safe diet is combined with KetoCitra, the company’s novel medical food. KetoCitra is a non-prescription medical food for the dietary management of chronic kidney disease and other conditions managed by a ketogenic diet. As a medical food, KetoCitra must be taken under medical supervision, which ensures that it is only taken by patients with appropriate needs. The Ren-Nu program addresses two critical points of PKD management: metabolic imbalances and damaging renal microcrystals. The goal is to slow disease progression and improve long-term kidney health.
Over the past several years, KetoCitra has been utilized in multiple clinical trials. In 2023, the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California included KetoCitra in a study to measure impacts of dietary interventions in long-COVID patients. The study will potentially benefit the millions of Americans who suffer from the condition. KetoCitra is also being utilized in a clinical trial by Tokyo’s Juntendo University. Juntendo University, a leading private university, is testing the long-term benefits of the medical food on Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.