Pharmaxis Ltd (ASX:PXS, OTC:PMXSF) is set to receive a £2.9 million (around A$5 million) cash injection from Parkinson’s UK to support a Phase 2 clinical trial.
The leading charity will issue the funds from its drug discovery arm, the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech program, with collaborators at the University of Sydney and the University of Oxford to lead the study.
Tackling neurodegenerative disease
Essentially, the Phase 2 trial will investigate Pharmaxis drug candidate PXS-4782 in a bid to tackle Parkinson’s at the onset.
That’s because previous research indicates that developing isolated Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behaviour Disorder (iRBD) where otherwise healthy people start acting out their dreams, is the strongest predicator for developing Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia.
In fact, a recent multi-centre study found that more than 70% of iRBD patients transitioned to a neurodegenerative disease.
As such, the upcoming study will examine whether targeting brain inflammation in iRBD patients could provide a viable neuroprotective strategy to prevent the disease.
Together, experts from Sydney and Oxford universities will recruit 40 patients with iRBD to participate in the placebo-controlled PXS-4782 trial.
Recruitment is expected to begin in early 2023, and the finer details are outlined below:
Cureless disease
Pharmaxis principal investigator professor Simon Lewis, who’s also a director of the Parkinson’s Disease Research Clinic at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, said the trial was an “unprecedented opportunity” to study the effect of PXS-4782 and its potential role as a neuroprotective agent.
“Currently, we have no disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson’s disease, and by the time patients are diagnosed, they have already lost a significant number of brain cells,” Lewis explained.
“Therefore, targeting patients with iRBD offers us our best strategy for slowing cell death when it could be most impactful.”
Parkinson’s UK director of research Arthur Roach continued: “Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, and currently there is no cure.
“Current therapies only help to manage symptoms, so there is an urgent need for new and better treatments that can slow the devastating progression of the condition.
“Through our innovative Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech program, we invest in projects like this one, through which a biotech company aims to create important new treatments that address the priorities of people living with Parkinson’s.
“We’re thrilled to be funding this important clinical trial and enabling the inclusion of a UK site that allows people in the UK the opportunity to take part in this groundbreaking study.”
Hope for an effective treatment
Pharmaxis CEO Gary Phillips said: “I am delighted to announce this funding agreement with Parkinson’s UK, whose stated aim is to identify novel research opportunities that will find new and better treatments in years rather than decades.
“It’s been an outstanding experience to see firsthand how Parkinson’s UK collaborates with globally renowned physicians to fast-track Pharmaxis’ drug into the clinic and assess its unique mechanism to tackle neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
“RBD patients have very few treatment options available to them, so this study provides hope for an effective treatment and a step towards the longer-term goal of stopping neurodegeneration.”