MCA Launches First Research RFP, Seeking Blue Sky Therapeutics for CHD 

Over the past several decades, remarkable advances in surgery and medical devices have transformed care for people with CHD, allowing more children with CHD to survive into adulthood than ever before. Meanwhile, innovation outside of devices has comparatively lagged. Most medicines used today to treat CHD symptoms are prescribed off-label, meaning they were originally developed and approved for other purposes. For many forms of CHD, there are still no therapies that can prevent disease before birth, correct the underlying biology, slow disease progression, or stop complications from developing. 

While there is no doubt that continued innovation in surgery and devices is necessary and will play a critical role in advancing CHD care, we also believe that non-device therapeutics have an important role to play in creating a brighter future for people with CHD. Today, we’re proud to launch our first research request for proposals (RFP), which we’ve decided to focus on novel therapeutic approaches.

Scientific breakthroughs (including gene therapies, RNA medicines, cell therapies, biologic drugs, and precision drug delivery are opening possibilities that were unimaginable just a decade ago. These advances have already transformed the treatment of many diseases and today offer an unprecedented opportunity to do the same for congenital heart defects. 

Our RFP was created to support bold, early-stage research that could lead to the next generation of non-device treatments for congenital heart defects. We are confident that many of the ambitious ideas out there that could revolutionize CHD treatment are too early or too innovative to receive traditional funding today. We are launching this RFP to seek out such projects and researchers that can generate the first evidence needed to move promising discoveries toward larger studies, industry partnerships, and ultimately new treatments for patients. 

We are seeking projects that have the potential to prevent congenital heart defects, correct or modify its underlying causes, slow disease progression, reduce lifelong complications, or improve the lives of people living with CHD. Moreover, we are inviting researchers from across medicine and science – not just those already focusing on CHD – to apply their expertise and innovative ideas to one of medicine’s most underserved fields. 

This RFP is more than a research funding opportunity. It is an investment in a future where people born with congenital heart defects have access to therapies designed specifically for them, helping them survive, thrive, and one day, where possible, prevent or even cure congenital heart disease itself. 

Learn more about the Blue Sky Therapeutics RFP, including information on how to apply, here. We will be hosting an informational webinar about the RFP process on July 27th at 10 AM PT. Register to attend here.