WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THIRD ANNUAL LILLIAN JEAN KAPLAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE

Award recognizes research advancement in the field of polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

(Kansas City) December 13, 2006 — The PKD Foundation and the International Society of Nephrologists are pleased to announce the winners of the third Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for the Advancement and Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).

Dr. Vicente Torres of the Mayo Clinic and Jing Zhou, M.D., Ph.D. of the Harvard University Medical School have been selected as recipients of the 2007 award. Each will receive a $50,000 prize as recognition for their excellence and leadership in PKD research.

“When it comes to successful kidney research, PKD is the gold standard, and not surprisingly given the leadership and scientific innovation provided by research titans such as Dr. Jing Zhou and Dr. Vicente Torres. The selection committee has done a stellar job in selecting them to receive the 2007 Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for Advancement in the Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease,” said PKD Foundation President and CEO Dan Larson.

PKD is the most common life-threatening genetic disease, affecting 12.5 million people worldwide. PKD causes cysts to form on the kidneys, limiting their ability to filter toxins from the blood. Dialysis and transplantation are the only treatments for kidney failure.  There is no cure for PKD.

The PKD Foundation leads the fight against PKD through research funding and patient education. For more information, visit www.pkdcure.org or call 1-800-PKD-CURE.

The Kaplan Prize will be presented at the next World Conference of Nephrology April 21-25, 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

For more information on the International Society of Nephrology, visit http://www.isn-online.org/.