The processes of drug development involve elucidation of the pathogenesis, high-throughput screening, and animal studies, followed by trials in humans to determine the efficacy and safety of the drug. Virtually all of the recent improvements in the care of patients with kidney disease have resulted from the basic research involving the use of laboratory animals. Thus, it is very important to optimize animal studies for drug development. “reverse translation” approach, also called “bedside-to-bench research”, starts with actual patient experiences in the clinic and works backward to uncover the mechanistic basis for development of a new drug. We also need to understand the characteristics of different animal models. We need to understand the importance of genetic background and microbiota of experimental animals. In addition to rodents, large animals such as pigs and non-human primates serve critical roles to make a go/no-go decision. In addition, utilization of “organ-on-a-chip” with human cultured cells can overcome differences in cellular metabolism between human and experimental animals. To optimize animal studies for drug development, the ISN will hold the First Consensus Meeting on Guidance for Optimal Pre-Clinical Animal Studies in Translational Nephrology, TRANSFORM (TRAnslational Nephrology Science For new Medications). Our ultimate goal is to develop new drugs against kidney disease and improve prognosis and quality of life of patients with kidney disease.