News

The recent ISN World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) in Yokohama Japan was a wonderful experience. I attended as a speaker and a member of the ISN Patient Liaison Advisory Group – the role that allows me to bring the patient voice into the heart of the nephrology community.

My name is Andrea. I am 43 years old and the father of three wonderful children: Giuseppe (15), Francesca (10) and Alessandro (5). Two of them, Giuseppe and Alessandro, live with a rare disease: Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD). Being a father in these circumstances means learning very early that life no longer follows the “normal” rhythm of most families. Every decision becomes intertwined with appointments, treatments, hospital stays and waiting times, and the future is measured in small but vital goals.

The ARTICYST consortium brings together leading European centres of excellence in kidney research, including Translational Nephrology at the Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne in Germany, the Department of Nephrology at University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, and PKD International representing the patient voice at international level.

Novartis has completed its acquisition of Regulus Therapeutics, the biotechnology company developing farabursen, an investigational therapy designed to target microRNA-17 with the aim of slowing cyst growth and preserving kidney function. The transaction has a potential value of up to USD 1.7 billion, reflecting increased commitment to advancing research and development in ADPKD - an area of considerable unmet medical need.

PKD International participated in the ADPKD Community Advisory Board organized by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Members from Spain, Germany, Italy, and the UK brought the voice of the ADPKD patient community from across Europe to the table.

The PICKED & DISCO-I Joint Meeting will take place from May 13-15, 2025, at the Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires (I2MC) in Toulouse, France. This three-day event brings together doctoral candidates, leading experts, and distinguished speakers from across Europe to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and advance research in kidney disease and innovative omics technologies.