Building A Global Network for Pediatric Glomerular Disease Clinical Trials

Pediatric glomerular disease clinical trials have long trailed adult research, leaving pediatric nephrologists with few trained investigators, limited infrastructure, and little formal guidance on how to start. The International Society of Glomerular Disease (ISGD) formed the GD-Kids working group in 2026 to help close this gap.¹

At the inaugural ISGD Clinical Trials Summit in Galveston, Texas, co-chairs Myda Khalid, MD, of Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University, and Scott Wenderfer, MD, PhD, of BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia, spoke with HCPLive about why the group was needed and how it is training the next generation of investigators.

Khalid said new glomerular disease therapies developed for adults are now beginning to expand into children. GD-Kids gives physicians, sponsors, patients, and others in the space a shared platform to improve how pediatric trials are run.

Why Do Pediatric Nephrologists Need a Dedicated Glomerular Disease Trials Group?

Wenderfer described GD-Kids as a home for pediatric nephrologists interested in glomerular disease. He said pediatric investigators needed a society to advocate for their priorities, and ISGD’s emphasis on pediatric trials drew him to the working group.

Khalid noted the group’s international makeup quickly became one of its strengths. She said she has already learned from colleagues in Asia and Europe and hopes to draw on other regions as the group grows.

ISGD has outlined 4 core goals for GD-Kids: building global pediatric trial capacity, strengthening collaboration across institutions and regions, promoting equitable trial access in underrepresented regions, and developing shared best practices for trial design, start-up, and execution.¹ Initial priorities include a global survey of experienced investigators and sites to identify barriers and needed resources.¹

Efforts such as the PIONEER pediatric gateway initiative have similarly sought earlier integration of children into glomerular disease drug development.²

How Are Clinical Trial Boot Camps Preparing Pediatric Investigators?

GD-Kids grew out of ISGD’s first Clinical Trials Bootcamp, held during the 2025 European Society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) meeting in Athens, Greece.¹ Khalid said the program targeted fellows, trainees, and junior faculty. It introduced basic clinical trial concepts, common challenges, and strategies to overcome them while building a community of early-career investigators.

A second boot camp followed in Miami in partnership with the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium, at a meeting focused on trainees. Khalid and Wenderfer both participated in a more recent boot camp in Bordeaux, France, and a combined ISGD and ESPN boot camp is planned for Florence, Italy, next year.

Wenderfer noted many ESPN juniors return to the boot camps year after year. This allows faculty to build on prior sessions and help attendees grow more comfortable in the glomerular disease space over time.

Khalid recalled starting clinical trial work 8 to 10 years ago, when only a handful of pediatric nephrologists were running trials.

“I remember asking people, ‘Hey, does anybody know how to do these? Is there a booklet? Do I know where to start?’ And in fact, I couldn’t find an answer,” Khalid said.

She said the boot camps could help the field compile a formal curriculum and a faculty network newcomers can turn to.

Wenderfer said many clinicians want to participate in research and give their patients access to innovative therapies but do not know where to begin. He added fellows in particular struggle to find clinical trial exposure during academic training, and the boot camps offer an early entry point.

References:

1. International Society of Glomerular Disease. International Society of Glomerular Disease launches GD-Kids to advance pediatric glomerular medicine worldwide. Published October 15, 2026. Accessed November 14, 2026. https://www.is-gd.org/en/news-from-isgd/a-global-effort-to-move-pediatric-glomerular-medicine-forward

2. Gipson DS, Tarnoff J, Lee L, et al. A pediatric gateway initiative for glomerular disease: introducing PIONEER. Kidney Int. 2021;99(3):515-518. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2020.11.013