Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-21-122
Deadline: October 20, 2023, February 20, 2024
Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Neurotherapeutic Agent Characterization and In vivo Efficacy Studies (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Purpose
This FOA provides funding to conduct pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and in vivo efficacy studies to demonstrate that proposed therapeutic agent(s) have sufficient biological activity to warrant further development to treat neurological or neuromuscular disorders. Supported therapeutic agents include small molecules and biologics (modalities such as peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, gene therapies, cell therapies, and novel emerging modalities). It is expected that upon completion, investigators will have sufficient evidence of target engagement and/or in vivo efficacy for selected therapeutic agent(s) to meet the entry criteria for the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN) or other later stage programs. Projects that seek to identify novel therapeutics for underrepresented patient populations are also responsive for this FOA.
This funding opportunity is intended to support projects with a strong biological rationale including: 1) evidence that the therapeutic agent(s) has the potential to be therapeutically viable, 2) evidence to support the robustness of the pharmacodynamic measures and/or in-vivo efficacy models, 3) a description of the unmet need for the therapeutic agent(s), and 4) a clear justification for how the findings from these studies are relevant to treatments for disorders that are within the NINDS mission. Studies proposed must be part of a well-thought out and clearly defined therapeutic development plan.
For more information please see the opportunity website.