Posted: 17 September 2025
xCystence Bio, a biotechnology company emerging from Monash University, was awarded a funding boost from Brandon BioCatalyst’s CUREator incubator to accelerate the development of new treatments for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). The supplementary round brought CUREator’s total grant allocation to the company to AU$750,000
PKD, a hereditary disorder characterised by the growth of multiple cysts in the kidneys, is a progressive condition that frequently culminates in renal failure, requiring dialysis or transplantation. Existing therapies largely address symptoms rather than halting or reversing the disease.
Co-founder Professor Paul Stupple of the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) highlighted the critical gap in current treatment options. “Around 12 million people worldwide are affected by PKD, with the disease often leading to kidney failure requiring treatments such as dialysis or even transplantation. Our mission at xCystence Bio is to develop and optimise new safe and effective drugs to significantly improve quality of life for those living with PKD,” he said.
xCystence Bio was first recognised by CUREator as an early-stage innovation following the team’s identification of a cell signalling pathway active in PKD. Blocking this pathway in disease models was found to suppress the formation and growth of cysts. The top-up funding is expected to move the programme into proof-of-concept studies.
Professor Ian Smyth, co-founder from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI), underscored the significance of the company’s trajectory. “Forming xCystence Bio has given our research team the opportunity to continue optimising towards PKD drug candidates and progress them through the crucial preclinical process toward the next stage of clinical development,” he said.
Monash Innovation’s Dr Alastair Hick and Dr Aoife Cullen welcomed the investment as further evidence of Monash’s ability to translate discoveries into practical outcomes.
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