Keep PKD Listed in the Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program

Current Status

In January and March 2008, the PKD Foundation formally asked Congress to include PKD as a disease eligible for research funding in the Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program for FY 2009.

The Peer-Reviewed program was funded at $45 million in FY 2008, with PKD included in the list of diseases eligible for funding.

Importance to PKD Patients

The Defense Department’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program offers another source of substantial funding for PKD research. PKD was included for the first time in this program in 2006. That year, Dr. Thomas Weimbs, a researcher at UC-Santa Barbara, applied for a grant and was awarded $1.25 million to study pathways in the kidney that are involved in cell multiplication and cyst growth.

Why should the Defense Department worry about PKD? More than 6,300 active duty and military, reserve and civilian personnel may have the disease, based on a 1 and 500 prevalence rate. Most individuals enter military service in their teens and early 20s. The military will not realize the full service potential of these individuals before the full effects of PKD are apparent and they develop kidney failure, which will lead to costly dialysis and kidney transplants.

To cure PKD would result in billions of dollars of savings to the military, Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration.

While PKD was included in the Peer-Reviewed program in 2006 and 2008, the PKD Foundation must ask Congress each fiscal year for PKD to be included in the program, as well as show that finding a cure for PKD would benefit military readiness and save money for the health care system.

Download Documents

Request to Keep PKD in the Peer-Reviewed Program (PDF)