Abstract: INFO11-FR
New Accelerator Grant Program Specific for PKD
Session Information
- Informational Posters - 2
October 23, 2026 | Location: Exhibit Hall A, Convention Center
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Genetic Diseases of the Kidneys
- No subcategory defined
Authors
- Chen, Christopher, PKD Foundation, Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Westerfield, Vanessa, PKD Foundation, Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Fedeles, Sorin, Critical Path Institute, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- Ruyle, Wendy Therese, Critical Path Institute, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- Everts, Maaike, Critical Path Institute, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- Morgan, Michelle R., Critical Path Institute, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Description
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) affects approximately 500,000 Americans. Despite active academic research, only one approved therapy exists to slow progression. A persistent barrier is the "valley of death" — the gap between promising laboratory discoveries and the clinical development pathway required for FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) submission. Academic investigators rarely have access to the regulatory expertise, strategic guidance, and specialized funding needed to advance novel compounds through this translational gap.
The PKD Foundation — the largest private funder of PKD research in the U.S. — has co-invested with Critical Path Institute's (C-Path) Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) to establish a dedicated PKD track within the TRxA Bridging Research and Innovation in Drug Development (BRIDGe) Award Program. This partnership unites the PKD Foundation's disease-focused mission with C-Path's deep regulatory science expertise and its longstanding collaboration with the FDA.
BRIDGe awards offer three funding tiers for therapeutic programs at different stages of maturity: Stage 1 (up to $250,000) supports early lead optimization; Stage 2 (up to $500,000) advances programs toward development candidate selection; and Stage 3 (up to $1,000,000) funds full IND-enabling studies. The funding period for all three tiers is 1 year.
Beyond funding, TRxA awardees receive embedded drug development and regulatory expertise, structured guidance toward funding milestones, Target Product Profile evaluation, and access to C-Path's PKD Outcomes Consortium (PKDOC), which is developing validated biomarkers and clinical trial simulation tools. This integrated support helps academic investigators build the rigorous data packages needed to attract pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners for clinical development.
Funding
- Critical Path Institute and the PKD Foundation