Takeda and Prana to research neurodegeneration treatment for Parkinson's disease

Takeda Pharmaceuticals International has entered a new research collaboration to study the ability of Prana Biotechnology’s investigational movement disorders compound, PBT434, to slow down or prevent neurodegeneration of the gastrointestinal system of a patient with Parkinson's disease.

Prana Biotechnology was established to commercialise research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Huntington, and Parkinson.

PBT434 is the first of a new generation of small molecules from the quinazolinone class of drugs that was particularly designed to block the accumulation and aggregation of alpha-synuclein.

One of the most significant non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease is the early presentation of severe and disabling impairment of gastrointestinal function, and results in the loss of neurons and their networks in the brain and in the gut.

Prana Biotechnology senior scientific consultant David Finkelstein said: "This early research is important because our major therapeutic objective is to treat these disabling symptoms and provide an early therapeutic intervention for both motor and non-motor Parkinsonian symptoms in patients which may significantly impact on the quality of life."

In a recent publication, the company revealed the results with PBT434 that demonstrated a significant reduction of alpha-synuclein in various pre-clinical models of the disease.

PBT434 can reduce the formation of toxic alpha-synuclein fibrils and aggregates, rescue neurons burdened by such toxic forms of alpha-synuclein and restore motor function in animal models.

Later this year, the company is expected to start human testing of the compound in a Phase I trial.