Pharmaprojects R&D Pipeline News Feed
Michael J. Fox Foundation's Therapeutic Development Initiative
31st Jan 2007
Ten industry research teams have benefited to the collective tune of US$4.6 million from the Michael J. Fox Foundation's Therapeutic Development Initiative. The aim of the initiative according to Deborah Brooks, president and CEO of the Foundation, is to make Parkinson's 'a more attractive bet' to pharmaceutical companies and so stimulate the rate of drug discovery within the field.
Wyeth has received funding to develop drugs that inhibit leucine-rich repeat kinase 2, mutations in which, have been associated with Parkinson's disease-8. Several other neuroprotective approaches also stand to gain, including Allon Therapeutics' AL-108, an 8-amino-acid peptide derived from activity-dependent neuroprotective protein, already under clinical investigation for cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's and schizophrenia; a glucocerebrosidase stabiliser under investigation by Amicus Therapeutics, and also a novel gene therapy being developed by Sangamo BioSciences, intended to increase GDNF expression in the brain.
Proneuron Biotechnologies' T-lymphocyte therapy PN-277 was approved for a grant, as were stem cell-based neuronal replacement programs under investigation by CellCure Neurosciences and ReNeuron Group. P2D, Neurocrine Biosciences and Intra-Cellular Therapies were the remaining beneficiaries.
In promoting therapeutic development, the initiative offers hope for the millions of people worldwide who are affected by this debilitating disease.
