Cambridge, Mass. – September 15, 2026 -- Vincere Biosciences has been awarded a $2.7 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health, to fund IND-enabling development of its USP30 inhibitor for acute kidney injury (AKI).
NIH funding targets a disease affecting 13 million people annually
Acute kidney injury impacts more than 13 million people worldwide each year following ischemia, major surgery, or exposure to nephrotoxic drugs, yet treatment remains largely supportive. The two-year grant will fund genotoxicity and toxicology studies, 28-day GLP toxicology studies, and cardiovascular, respiratory, and CNS safety pharmacology required before Vincere can file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.
Vincere's mechanism targets mitochondrial quality control in kidney cells
Vincere's USP30 inhibitor works by blocking a mitochondrial deubiquitinating enzyme that normally suppresses mitophagy, the process cells use to clear damaged mitochondria. Inhibiting USP30 removes this regulatory brake, accelerating clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria in the metabolically demanding cells of the renal tubule and supporting tissue recovery after injury.
Dr. Spring Behrouz, co-founder and CEO of Vincere, said the company was formed to pursue disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson's disease but has expanded its focus to other energy-reliant organs such as the kidneys as mitochondrial involvement in kidney injury has emerged as a research area. She noted that untreated AKI is linked to over a million deaths annually.
Grant extends USP30 platform beyond Parkinson's disease pipeline
The NIDDK award marks a second therapeutic application of Vincere's USP30 platform, which the company is separately advancing for Parkinson's disease through a $5 million award from The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Andy Lee, co-founder and CBO of Vincere, said the company's computational biology platform aggregates data across tissues and therapeutic areas to identify mechanistic connections for both CNS and peripheral indications.