NOVEL THERAPEUTIC FOR THE TREATMENT OF PARKINSONS DISEASE

Descrizione del progetto

Nuovi farmaci per il morbo di Parkinson

Il morbo di Parkinson è una neurodegenerazione progressiva contraddistinta da tremori, rigidità e difficoltà di movimento. Questa malattia colpisce i neuroni che producono la dopamina nel cervello di milioni di persone in tutto il mondo. Le opzioni di trattamento disponibili sono limitate e il farmaco più potente è un precursore della dopamina noto come levodopa. Il progetto IRL790, finanziato dall’UE, si propone di aumentare la schiera di farmaci disponibili contro il morbo di Parkinson, attenuando i movimenti erratici e la psicosi nei pazienti. I ricercatori hanno tenuto conto della complessità delle malattie del sistema nervoso centrale per la progettazione di due farmaci differenti che stanno ottenendo risultati promettenti nelle sperimentazioni cliniche preliminari.

Obiettivo

This project’s goal is to develop a successful treatment that combats severe motor and psychotic symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder affecting > 6 million people worldwide. It’s the neurological disorder with the highest increase in death rates, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Levodopa, introduced more than 50 years ago, remains the most prescribed treatment for the symptomatic relief of PD, although its long-term use leads to the development of motor complications, i.e. levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LIDs).
IRLAB aims to address the challenge in PD treatment by clinically validating its novel compound, IRL790, aimed at reducing symptoms of PD-LIDs and Parkinson’s disease psychosis. IRLAB’s programme is based on its proprietary drug discovery platform, Integrative Screening Process (ISP), which captures a better understanding of complexities of CNS-related diseases, such as PD, and yields drug candidates with superior chance of success in the clinic.
IRLAB’s therapeutic will improve intervention outcomes for PD patients in two indications. Its safety and tolerability have been validated in Phase I clinical trials and its therapeutic efficacy in PD-LIDs is being evaluated in an ongoing Phase II study. Results are expected 2018. Besides medical benefits to patients, IRL790 has also the potential to bring cost-savings to healthcare providers by effectively reducing the Parkinson’s disease burden.
Generation of high quality clinical data will improve IRLAB’s opportunities for out-licensing. We plan to apply for SME grant to accelerate clinical developmental and take IRL790 through a Phase II study in PD psychosis. This way, we will out-license and market the drug sooner and for two indications (PD-LIDs and PD psychosis) simultaneously. IRLAB has an established business development contact network and have gained trust of international healthcare investors and national innovation funding bodies.