Zarpet Family Foundation's $12 Million Gift Fuels Polycystic Kidney Disease Research at CU Anschutz
Key Insights
A $12 million gift from the Zarpet Family Foundation (search) will expand PKD research, clinical care, and education at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (search).
The funding will support development of new imaging biomarkers, launch of phase II studies, and investigation of repurposed FDA-approved drugs to halt PKD progression.
Researchers will explore metabolic reprogramming strategies including dietary interventions and existing metabolic medications such as metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors (search), and GLP-1 agonists (search).
A $12 million gift from the Zarpet Family Foundation (search) will significantly expand polycystic kidney disease (search) (PKD) research and treatment capabilities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (search), providing a sustained infrastructure for advancing scientific discovery and clinical care for patients with this progressive genetic condition.
The donation, directed to the CU Anschutz PKD Center within the School of Medicine's Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, will fund pilot programs, enhance operational capacity, support recruitment of top research talent, and strengthen data collection efforts to secure additional external funding.
"This gift will allow us to expand our research, clinical, and educational mission in PKD," said Michel Chonchol, MD, professor of renal diseases and hypertension and director of the PKD center. "We want to develop new imaging biomarkers, launch phase II studies with potential new compounds, and look into repurposing drugs that have been approved by the FDA that potentially could work to halt PKD progression."
The Unmet Need in PKD
PKD is a genetic disease characterized by progressive decline in kidney function and represents the fourth most common cause of end-stage kidney disease. Patients ultimately require either chronic dialysis or a kidney transplant. Currently, only one FDA-approved drug exists to treat the disease — Jynarque (tolvaptan) (search) — leaving treatment to focus primarily on managing comorbidities such as hypertension, urinary tract infections, and chronic lower back pain resulting from enlarged kidneys.
Metabolic Reprogramming and Drug Repurposing
Among the most promising research directions identified by the CU Anschutz team is metabolic reprogramming for PKD patients. Chonchol noted that these patients tend to have a higher prevalence of obesity, and the center has conducted extensive work on dietary interventions, caloric restrictions, and weight loss as strategies to slow disease progression.
The researchers are also investigating existing metabolic medications — including metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors (search), and GLP-1 agonists (search) — to evaluate their potential role in delaying PKD progression. "In a lot of the initial studies where these medications were tested, PKD patients were excluded," Chonchol explained. "There may be opportunities to repurpose some of these drugs for this condition."
Building a Clinical Trials Network
A central priority for the Zarpet Family Foundation (search) funds will be the creation of a multicenter PKD clinical trials network. Because PKD is a rare disease, patient recruitment for clinical studies has historically been challenging. Establishing a coordinated network will enable rapid and expedited trial launches as new therapeutic candidates emerge.
"It's going to allow us to be competitive in getting investigators who are interested in polycystic kidney disease (search), both in basic science and clinical research," Chonchol said. "Creating a network where we can launch clinical trials rapidly and in an expedited fashion, and test new drugs as they come available, is a top priority."
A Vision for National Leadership
Beyond research and trials, the gift will promote integrated, multidisciplinary collaborations across departments and medical subspecialties essential to comprehensive PKD management. Chonchol's long-term vision includes establishing CU Anschutz as a national referral center for kidney transplantation in PKD, noting significant patient interest in bilateral nephrectomy at the time of transplant.
The donation also supports mentoring the next generation of investigators and clinicians dedicated to treating PKD patients. Chonchol, who worked with Elizabeth Hepworth from the CU Anschutz Office of Advancement to manage the donation, emphasized that this is not the foundation's first contribution. "All the discoveries we have made so far, and the way that we are recognized nationally, is all thanks to the Zarpet Family Foundation (search)," he said.