This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), supports the research and development of novel peptidic inhibitors targeting the interaction between paxillin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) for the treatment of liver fibrosis. The $325,976 award to Faknostics LLC, a woman-owned small business, aims to optimize lead peptide candidates, characterize their in vitro activity, and confirm efficacy in an animal model of liver fibrosis. This research represents a potential new therapeutic approach to address the significant unmet medical need for modifying the progression of liver fibrosis associated with chronic liver diseases. Upon successful completion of this fast-track STTR project, the company plans to further evaluate the pharmacokinetics, safety, and comprehensive efficacy of the novel peptide inhibitors in additional liver fibrosis models.