The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) announced the first-ever recipients of the Translational Bridge Award (TBA), established this year to accelerate the translation of groundbreaking research into potential treatments and diagnostics for lupus. The award aims to propel high-potential projects from LRA-funded foundational discoveries with strong commercialization potential or an opportunity for clinical evaluation. Five exceptional researchers have been awarded the 2024 Translational Bridge Award to tackle pressing issues, from managing pain and fatigue to developing an alternative to the widely used glucocorticoids. 

Providing up to $450,000 over two years, the TBA emerged as a key initiative of LRA’s newly developed Research Roadmap, an ambitious research strategy designed to integrate LRA’s efforts across all stages of lupus research, from early discovery through clinical application. By funding innovative, milestone-driven projects with strong commercial or clinical potential, the TBA is driving scientific advances that can be quickly moved from the lab to the clinic, benefiting those with this complex disease.  

Among the recipients is Timothy B. Niewold, MD, FACR, rheumatologist at HSS who is advancing novel therapies for lupus. While lupus treatments have advanced, there remains an urgent need for safer, more effective therapies. Dr. Niewold and his collaborator Vineet Gupta at UTMB have developed a first-of-its-kind drug called ONT01, which targets a molecule called ITGAM. He will test ONT01, which has shown promising results in mouse models, in a phase 1b trial to assess its safety in people with lupus. This trial could open the door to a new class of treatments that target lupus at the molecular level. 

Read the full article at lupusresearch.org.