TUCSON, Ariz., November 19, 2024 — Critical Path Institute® (C-Path) today announced that its Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) program, in partnership with The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, a new research grant aimed at developing a novel treatment for type 1 diabetes (T1D). This award is made through TRxA’s Bridging Research and Innovation in Drug Development Grants (BRIDGe) program, which is designed to support academic researchers in traversing the drug development valley of death and advancing new cutting-edge therapeutics from the lab to patients.
Feroz Papa, M.D., Ph.D. and Bradley Backes, Ph.D., both from the University of California, San Francisco, in collaboration with Dustin Maly, Ph.D., from the University of Washington, Seattle, have received this TRxA award to develop kinase inhibitors that target critical pathways in the onset of T1D. “More than 1.3 million Americans currently live with T1D, with first degree relatives of patients being at risk for developing the condition,” explained Papa. “This grant will enable our research team to further develop our novel drug candidate to prevent and even reverse T1D.”
The Helmsley Charitable Trust is partnering with TRxA to support this project, with a matching investment of $500,000, bringing the total grant award to $1 million. “Existing therapies for T1D fall short of easing the burdens of those living with diabetes,” said Ben Williams, Ph.D., T1D Program Officer at the Helmsley Charitable Trust, “which is why we are excited to support this effort to develop an innovative therapy for people with the disease.”
In addition to providing funding for the project, TRxA’s unique drug accelerator model provides its grantees with translational and regulatory science expertise to help drive success and mitigate risks inherent to early-stage research for development of new therapeutics. “We are delighted to be partnering with the Helmsley Charitable Trust on this transformative T1D project that addresses an area of high unmet medical need in the diabetes community,” shared TRxA Executive Director Maaike Everts, Ph.D. “This effort brings together some of the brightest minds in biology, chemistry and drug discovery, which is critical for successful translation of ideas into new drugs available for patients.”
This grant complements C-Path’s broader commitment to foster collaboration among scientists and stakeholders by expediting the development of safe and effective therapies through its T1D Consortium (T1DC), of which the Helmsley Charitable Trust is also a partner. Founded in 2017, T1DC is working to achieve regulatory endorsement of Clinical Trial Simulation Tools in both new-onset and prevention of T1D to improve clinical trial design, accelerate development of new therapies, and positively impact the entire T1D community.
To learn more about TRxA, click here or email us at TRxA@c-path.org. More information about C-Path’s T1DC is available here.
Notes:
Feroz R. Papa, M.D. Ph.D. is Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Bradley J. Backes, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSF
Dustin J. Maly, Ph.D. is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Washington, Seattle.
About Critical Path Institute
Critical Path Institute (C-Path) is an independent, nonprofit established in 2005 as a public-private partnership, in response to the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative. C-Path’s mission is to lead collaborations that advance better treatments for people worldwide. Globally recognized as a pioneer in accelerating drug development, C-Path has established numerous international consortia, programs and initiatives that currently include more than 1,600 scientists and representatives from government and regulatory agencies, academia, patient organizations, disease foundations and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. With dedicated team members located throughout the world, C-Path’s global headquarters is located in Tucson, Arizona and C-Path’s Europe subsidiary is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. For more information, visit c-path.org.
About The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $4.5 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. The Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Program is the largest private foundation funder in the world with a focus on T1D, with more than $1 billion to date committed to transform the trajectory of the disease and to accelerate access to 21st century care, everywhere. For more information on Helmsley and its programs, visit helmsleytrust.org
About TRxA
Critical Path Institute’s Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) is a global drug accelerator focused on supporting academic scientists in advancing novel therapeutics from university-based labs to drug development pipelines of pharmaceutical companies and, ultimately, the clinic. As a nonprofit neutral convener of patient groups, academia, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies, C-Path brings a breadth of scientific and drug development planning not available in other accelerator programs. TRxA is uniquely situated to leverage the expertise available through C-Path’s >20 disease-based consortia, as well as regulatory expertise and project management, to empower academic investigators to succeed in bringing safe and effective treatments to patients. For more information, visit c-path.org/trxa or email trxa@c-path.org.
Media Contacts:
Roxan Triolo Olivas
C-Path
520.954.1634
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Kissy Black
C-Path
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