NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED FOR THIRD ANNUAL LILLIAN JEAN KAPLAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE

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

(Kansas City) April 6, 2006 — The PKD Foundation and the International Society of Nephrologists invite nominations for the third Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for the Advancement and Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).

Two $50,000 cash prizes will be awarded to medical professionals who exhibit excellence and leadership in PKD research.

PKD is more common than cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, Down’s syndrome, and Huntington’s disease combined, making it the world’s most common life-threatening genetic disease. It affects 12.5 million men, women, and children worldwide and is equally predominant in both developed and developing countries.

PKD causes cysts to form on both kidneys limiting their ability to filter toxins from the blood. Dialysis and transplantation are the only treatments for kidney failure. There is no treatment or cure for PKD. Each child of a parent who has PKD will have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease.

Information on the nomination process can be found on the PKD Foundation website www.pkdcure.org. The deadline for nominations is September 15, 2006. 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 polycystic kidney disease (PKD), visit www.pkdcure.org or call 1-800-PKD-CURE.

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