Core Insights - Ardelyx, Inc. announced the recipients of the 2026 Derek Forfang Patient Advocate Award, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to advocating for chronic kidney disease patients [1][2] Group 1: Award Overview - The Derek Forfang Patient Advocate Award was established in 2025 to honor Derek Forfang, a patient advocate who passed away in 2023 due to chronic kidney disease [2] - The award recipients were selected by Ardelyx's Derek Forfang Patient Advisory Council based on their achievements in advocating for chronic kidney disease patients [2] Group 2: Recipients' Contributions - Edward Drake II founded The Youth Needing Organ & Tissue Transplants Foundation, helping thousands affected by kidney disease and advocating for patient-centered kidney care [4] - Markesha Grayson, a kidney donor, educates communities about kidney health and has testified in support of the Kidney Patient Act [5] - Timmy Nelson shares his transplant journey and has developed a national education program impacting over 1700 social workers since 2024 [6] - Pesh Patel founded A Kidney Life to educate those living with kidney disease and hosts a podcast to discuss treatment and policy [7] - Glenda Roberts is an activist for kidney research, serving on multiple advisory committees and contributing to over 50 publications [8][9] Group 3: Company Background - Ardelyx is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for unmet medical needs, with two approved products in the U.S. [10] - The company's pipeline includes Phase 3 development of tenapanor for chronic idiopathic constipation and RDX10531, a next-generation NHE3 inhibitor [10] - Ardelyx has international agreements for the commercialization of tenapanor, including partnerships in Japan and China [10]