Michael J Fox Foundation awards US$2.1m to six Parkinson's research projects

Published: 20-Jan-2010
Research & Development Finance Pharmaceutical

The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson\'s Research has awarded US$2.1m to six biotech and pharmaceutical companies under its Therapeutics Development Initiative (TDI). The funding will drive forward pre-clinical projects investigating promising neuroprotective therapeutic targets for Parkinson\'s disease (PD).


The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has awarded US$2.1m to six biotech and pharmaceutical companies under its Therapeutics Development Initiative (TDI). The funding will drive forward pre-clinical projects investigating promising neuroprotective therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease (PD).

Three teams will focus on strategies to address inflammation and oxidative stress, while two will investigate ways to target the Parkinson's-implicated protein alpha-synuclein (including FoldRx Pharmaceuticals' continuing investigation of small-molecule drug candidates to inhibit alpha-synuclein toxicity, funded by MJFF since 2007). The remaining team will investigate HDACs, a family of enzymes that enhance expression of potential protective factors in preclinical models of PD and may also regulate clearance of toxic proteins.

As with all MJFF grants, full funding is contingent on the achievement of predetermined, specific milestones and on the results of researchers' work being made available to the Parkinson's research community.

US firm Carmot Therapeutics, Opsona Therapeutics of Switzerland and Ireland and InterMed Discovery Projects of Germany have been selected for projects focused on inflammation and oxidative stress.

InterMed says it will use the funds further to develop IMD-026259, a novel disease-modifying therapeutic approach to oxidative stress-related, neuro-inflammatory diseases such as PD.

"These funds will enable us to substantiate further preclinical proof of principle towards development of this promising product candidate," said Thomas Henkel, co-managing director of InterMed Discovery.

Teams from FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, based in Cambridge, MA and Pfizer Global Research and Development will focus on alpha-synuclein in their projects.

The remaining team, from EnVivo Pharmaceuticals, based in Watertown, MA will investigate HDACs.

TDI is launched bi-annually with applications accepted each spring and autumn. To date the Michael J Fox Foundation has awarded US$18.6m to 39 industry led projects.

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