The translational research program at the Muscular Dystrophy Association was developed in response to the increasing number of promising therapeutic avenues for neuromuscular diseases that have developed from the organization’s discovery research program and is designed to move new drug targets into the clinic as rapidly and efficiently as possible.

To that end, MDA welcomes applications for its MDA Venture Philanthropy program, a drug development program exclusively focused on funding the discovery and clinical application of treatments and cures for neuromuscular diseases.

Examples of projects funded through the program include high-risk studies at companies that might not otherwise enter the rare neuromuscular disease arena; preclinical academic research focused on guiding whether potential therapeutics developed in academia can be developed as drugs and enhancing the value of such therapeutics to drug development companies; seed funding for promising early-stage projects with the potential to secure further investment by MDA or others; research and development projects, including target validation, lead identification and optimization, and preclinical efficacy studies; preclinical work necessary to file an investigational new drug application (IND), including pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and toxicology studies, as well as compound manufacturing and scale-up; phase 1 or early phase 2 clinical trials; and the development of diagnostic, prognostic, and pharmacodynamic biomarkers with the potential to accelerate drug development efforts.

Grants of up to $300,000 will be awarded in support of research and development, grants of up to $500,000 will be awarded in support of preclinical research, and grants of up to $1 million will be awarded in support of early clinical (phase 1 or early phase 2) trials.

Eligible applicants include biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or other companies. Companies may be public or private and bet U.S.- or non-U.S.-based.

See the Muscular Dystrophy Association website for complete program guidelines and application instructions.