CPRIT Product Development Research

CPRIT PDR — Texas Therapeutics Company

Funds Texas oncology companies with revenue-sharing support as therapies move toward commercialization.

Eligibility · United States · US-TX

The CPRIT Texas Therapeutics Company RFA is one of four Product Development Research mechanisms administered by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which allocates approximately $70 million per fiscal year to product development awards. The Therapeutics RFA funds Texas-based for-profit companies developing novel cancer therapeutics at or near the IND-enabling or Phase 1 stage. Eligible work includes preclinical proof of concept, chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) activities, GLP safety studies, and Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. As of the most recent data, CPRIT has funded or brought to Texas 72 companies through its product development portfolio.

Awards are structured as grants — not equity investments — but are backed by Texas General Obligation bonds and require a revenue-sharing agreement with the state at contract execution. Matching funds from the applicant company are also required, though the specific matching ratio is not publicly disclosed. The performance period is three years, extendable to allow full expenditure of funds. Companies headquartered outside Texas may apply but must commit to relocating to Texas as a condition of the award. The application process is two-stage: a low-friction preliminary application consisting of a two-page executive summary, a sixteen-slide deck, and a one-page aims and budget summary is reviewed by the Product Development Review Council (PDRC), with a decision issued in three to five weeks. Invited applicants then submit a full application and participate in a Zoom presentation to the review panel.

Companies best positioned for the Therapeutics RFA have a lead compound with demonstrated multi-model preclinical efficacy, pilot toxicology data in hand, and a clear path to IND filing within approximately one year — or are already in Phase 1. The preliminary application is deliberately lightweight, so the quality of the scientific rationale, the clarity of the development plan, and the credibility of the team are the primary differentiators at that stage. Applicants should confirm portal availability at cprit.texas.gov before initiating an application.