A shortage of efficacy compared to placebo in a phase II study of treating cognitive impairment has put Aptinyx Inc. on the defensive. The company’s oral, small-molecule NMDA receptor modulator, NYX-458, was being studied in 99 patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease or Lewy body dementia. Based on the results, Aptinyx has decided to stop the therapy’s development, along with closing its phase IIb study of another oral, small molecule, NYX-783, for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
South Korean biotech peers Celltrion Healthcare Co. Ltd. and Liscure Biosciences Co. Ltd. signed a deal to co-develop microbiome-based oral live biotherapeutic products for Parkinson's disease.
South Korean biotech peers Celltrion Healthcare Co. Ltd. and Liscure Biosciences Co. Ltd. signed a deal to co-develop microbiome-based oral live biotherapeutic products for Parkinson's disease. Under the agreement, Celltrion, of Incheon, South Korea, will provide Seoul-based Liscure with research funding as well as additional payments as the project progresses. Liscure will lead discovery of the novel candidates, and Celltrion will be responsible for further clinical and regulatory development.
NRG Therapeutics Ltd. has been awarded a second US$500,000 grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), to support its lead drug discovery program and the development of a novel treatment for Parkinson's disease.
Herantis Pharma plc has received approval from the Finnish Medicines Agency, Fimea, and an ethics committee for a clinical trial application (CTA) to start clinical development of HER-096 for Parkinson's disease.
Theranocure Co. Ltd. has divulged gadolinium complexes targeting β-amyloid protein acting as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents reported to be useful for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and the treatment of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
Ryne Biotechnology Inc. has been awarded a US$4 million Clinical Stage Research Program (CLIN1) grant by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to advance its lead candidate RNDP-001 through IND submission in the next 12 months.
Biogen Inc. and C4 Therapeutics Inc. have patented proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds comprising an E3 ubiquitin ligase-binding moiety coupled to interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4)-targeting moiety through a linker acting as IRAK-4 degradation inducers reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, inflammation, autoimmune and metabolic diseases, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis, among others.
A genome-wide association study (GWAS) from The University of Queensland has linked blood cell traits (BCTs) and neurological and psychiatric disorders (NPDs), providing a tool to improve patient treatments or repurposing different drugs. The researchers also found a cause-effect relationship between Parkinson's and platelet distribution width. In their study, published Jan. 25, 2023, in Cell Genomics, the scientists observed the genetic overlap between common NPDs and 29 BCTs, including functional genes, regulatory elements and new genetic correlations linked to hematological data and for these diseases.