In an effort to accelerate the creation of an artificial kidney, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) have created Phase 2 of the Artificial Kidney Prize competition. Read more about the competition and what it could mean for patients with end stage kidney disease.*

What is KidneyX?

KidneyX, also known as the Kidney Innovation Accelerator, is a public-private partnership between HHS and ASN to promote new innovations in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases. 

With kidney disease on the rise and treatment costs totaling more than $100 billion a year in the United States, the most effective long-term treatment is a kidney transplant. Unfortunately, there are few kidneys available for those who need them, and patients facing kidney failure can wait on lists for several years before an appropriate match is found. 

An artificial kidney could vastly improve health outcomes for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly in communities of color, in which outcomes are statistically poorer. KidneyX’s Artificial Kidney Prize competition seeks to advance an area that has seen little progress over the last 60 years. 

How is Phase 1 different from Phase 2?

Creating a fully functional bioartificial kidney has been proven to be difficult and complex. During Phase 1 of the competition, participants sought to create an artificial kidney prototype (preliminary model) that enabled or advanced the functionality, effectiveness, and/or reliability of artificial kidneys. Phase 2 will focus on taking artificial kidney designs to the next level. 

What are the types of tracks?

Past KidneyX prize winners and other participants who meet eligibility requirements are invited to enter Phase 2. This phase is broken into two tracks to encourage revolutionary design and include:

• Track One, “Accelerating the Prototype of a Bioartificial Kidney,” is open to proposals of plans for a prototype bioartificial kidney, including a pathway and the future timeline for human studies. 
• Track Two, “Components and Tools that Enable the Development of an Artificial Kidney,” is open to submissions that adapt old methods or create new methods to address the current challenges in developing a fully functional artificial kidney.

HHS and ASN will award up to $10.5 million to award-winning participants. Prize money will be split among up to nine prize winners, including up to three winners from Track One and six winners from Track Two. 

The engineering and production of artificial kidneys could potentially save and prolong millions of lives. Assistant Secretary of Health ADM Rachel L. Levine notes, “We are hopeful that KidneyX Phase 2’s focus on the integration and advancement of artificial kidney prototypes will result in breakthroughs that ensure a healthier future while reducing health disparities.”

KidneyX Launches New Artificial Kidney Prize with $10.5 Million in Funding. (2022, August 11). HHS.gov. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/08/11/kidneyx-launches-new-artificial-kidney-prize-with-10-million-dollars-in-funding.html?amp

About the Artificial Kidney Prize. (2022, March 29). KidneyX Artificial Kidney Prize. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://akp.kidneyx.org