TUCSON, Ariz., June 18, 2025 — Critical Path Institute’s® (C-Path) Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) proudly announced today a $250,000 grant award aimed at developing a novel treatment for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Kyle Apley, Ph.D., Cory Berkland, Ph.D., and Peggy Kendall M.D., at Washington University in St. Louis, have received this TRxA award to advance their work on a CD22 bidentate therapeutic designed for patients at risk of developing T1D.
“We are honored to receive this support from TRxA, which will enable us to accelerate the translation of our research into meaningful therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes,” said Dr. Apley. “This grant and the drug discovery expertise at C-Path provide critical resources to push our work forward and bring us closer to improving the lives of those affected by this condition.”
T1D affects 1.6 million Americans and 8.4 million people globally, and requires lifelong, daily interventions and lifestyle changes by those affected in order to manage symptoms and avoid acute and chronic complications. This project focuses on advancing a promising therapeutic pathway that has the potential to address key challenges in T1D treatment, including beta-cell preservation and immune system modulation.
The funding will facilitate synthesis and formulation of the new therapeutic, followed by critical preclinical studies with a particular focus on its immunological aspects. The project underscores C-Path’s mission to catalyze drug development by supporting translational science initiatives that bring promising treatments closer to patients.
“C-Path is committed to fostering innovative biomedical research that has real-world impact,” said TRxA Executive Director Maaike Everts, Ph.D. “TRxA’s support for Drs. Apley, Berkland and Kendall’s research highlights C-Path’s dedication to advancing novel solutions that accelerate the development of therapies that can improve medical outcomes for individuals living with T1D.”
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). 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. Learn more about T1DC, here.
For more information about C-Path and TRxA, visit c-path.org/trxa.
About Critical Path Institute
Founded in 2005, as a public-private partnership in response to the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative, Critical Path Institute® (C-Path) celebrates its 20th anniversary as a vital, independent, nonprofit. 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 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
615.310.1894
kblack@c-path.org