Asceneuron, a clinical stage company specialising in neurodegenerative diseases, has revealed that it has received a second grant from The Michael J Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson’s research.
The grant will go towards accelerating the study of its clinical stage O-GlcNAcase (OGA) inhibitor, ASN51, as a potential new treatment option for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
The MJFF is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research, having funded $1.5bn in research to date. It has also produced a targeted research programme that includes an international group of scientists, Parkinson’s patients, clinical trial participants, donors, volunteers and business leaders.
Parkinson’s disease is caused by a loss of dopamine producing nerve cells in the substantia nigra, which then leads to a decreased function in signalling from the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, causing the characteristic dysfunction in muscular movement associated with Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s is known to affect approximately seven to ten million people worldwide and there is currently no cure for the condition.
The grant from the Foundation will be invested into a preclinical proof-of-concept study to evaluate the disease-modifying properties of ASN51 in a preclinical model of inherited Parkinson’s.
The main objective of the study is to apply earlier published findings which showed a reduction of motor impairment using Asceneuron’s OGA inhibitors to the alternative genetic disease model.
The study is due to start immediately and the results are expected to be shared in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Dirk Beher, CEO, co-founder of Asceneuron, said: “We are pleased to have been awarded further funding support from The Michael J Fox Foundation to progress research on our next generation O-GlcNAcase inhibitor ASN51.
“ASN51 has the potential to make a meaningful impact on patients suffering with Parkinson’s disease to improve quality of life and slow progression. We are proud to receive the continued support from a foundation that contributes meaningfully towards the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s disease.”
“The Michael J Fox Foundation is dedicated to unlocking the complex biology of Parkinson’s disease and unearth novel breakthrough treatments to improve patient lives and slow disease progression,” said Luis Oliveira, senior associate director of research programmes, MJFF.
He added: “We are pleased to award Asceneuron a grant to support further research in the O-GlcNAcase inhibitor, ASN51, as a potential modifier of a-synuclein toxicity.”