As kidney researchers, clinicians, trainees, and patient partners gathered in Québec City for the 2026 Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) AGM, the Canadian Nephrology Trials Network (CNTN) Research Symposium created an opportunity to reflect on the progress of kidney clinical trials in Canada while exploring priorities for the future.
Held on May 6 as part of the CSN pre-course program, the hybrid symposium brought together researchers, clinicians, trainees, early-career investigators including KRESCENT trainees, and patient partners from across Canada to share updates on emerging research, discuss evolving national trial infrastructure, and strengthen collaboration across the kidney research community.
The symposium was co-hosted by patient partner Arlene Desjarlais and Dr. David Collister, reflecting CNTN’s ongoing commitment to patient partnership and collaborative leadership in kidney research. Wendat-Huron Elder Édith Picard opened the session by welcoming attendees to the territory of her ancestors.
If you missed the symposium or would like to revisit the discussions, a recording of the session is available at the end of this article.
Advancing Canada’s clinical trial landscape
Throughout the symposium, discussions focused on Canada’s evolving clinical trial ecosystem and the infrastructure needed to support future research collaborations.
Dr. David Collister, Scientific Operations Committee Co-Chair with CNTN, provided an overview of accomplishments from the first phase of the Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) consortium. Highlights included progress toward harmonizing contracts and research ethics board review processes, supporting national and international clinical trials, and launching studies in Indigenous communities. Dr. Collister also reflected on how ACT has supported the implementation of major international kidney studies in Canada, including ACHIEVE and EnAKT.
Looking ahead, he outlined priorities being explored through “ACT 2.0”, including opportunities to improve trial efficiency and equity through national coordination, streamlined processes, and enhanced trial site identification across Canada. While CNTN was not selected for ACT 2.0 funding due to overlap with existing Can-SOLVE CKD support, the network will continue to participate in the consortium as an affiliate network.
Expanding opportunities in kidney clinical trials
Presentations throughout the symposium highlighted ongoing efforts to expand access, innovation, and patient-centred approaches within kidney clinical trials.
Dr. Cal Robinson shared updates on the development of KIDBP-Trials, a new pediatric nephrology clinical trial network associated with CNTN. The initiative aims to address longstanding gaps in pediatric kidney research, where therapies approved for adults often take years to become available for children. The network will bring together children’s hospitals across Canada and focus on advancing patient priorities, trial methods, and outcomes in rare kidney diseases.
Additional presentations explored emerging evidence and ongoing studies in kidney care. Dr. Rachel Holden shared findings from a pilot study examining reduced dialysis frequency in older adults receiving hemodialysis, while Dr. Kevin Yau presented results from the GUARD-1 pilot trial evaluating GLP-1 agonists in people with kidney failure receiving long-term dialysis. Sarah Melville, RN, also shared findings related to hemodialysis prescribing patterns across hospitals and satellite centres in New Brunswick.
In a final presentation, Dr. Adeera Levin provided an overview of the EASi-KIDNEY trial investigating vicadrostat in combination with standard care and SGLT2 inhibitors in chronic kidney disease. She emphasized the importance of continued recruitment and Canadian participation in what is currently the largest chronic kidney disease trial to date.
Looking ahead
The symposium concluded with an interactive discussion focused on the long-term sustainability of CNTN and the future of collaborative kidney trials in Canada. Participants reflected on opportunities to strengthen network infrastructure, member engagement, and sustainable funding approaches through strategies ranging from industry partnerships to dedicated research support mechanisms.
Together, the discussions throughout the symposium reinforced the importance of national collaboration, shared learning, and patient-oriented research in advancing kidney clinical trials and improving care for people living with kidney disease across Canada.
Download the symposium summary report
For a more detailed overview of the presentations, discussion highlights, and future priorities explored during the symposium, download the CNTN Research Symposium Summary Report.
CNTN Research Symposium Report 2026 (PDF)
