<< Back
Oct 20, 2020
Roche and Prothena will Advance Prasinezumab into Late-Stage Clinical Development Study in Parkinson’s Disease
Roche and Prothena will Advance Prasinezumab into Late-Stage Clinical Development Study in Parkinson’s Disease
- First anti-alpha-synuclein antibody to advance into confirmatory large study in patients with early Parkinson’s disease; expected to initiate in 2021
- Prothena to earn a $60 million clinical milestone upon first patient dosed
DUBLIN, Ireland, Oct. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA), a late-stage clinical company with expertise in protein dysregulation and a diverse pipeline of investigational therapeutics for neurodegenerative and rare peripheral amyloid diseases, today announced that based on positive signals of efficacy consistent with disease modification in the PASADENA study, Roche and Prothena plan to advance prasinezumab into a Phase 2b study in patients with early Parkinson’s disease. The study will be designed to further assess the efficacy of prasinezumab by expanding upon the patient population enrolled in PASADENA to include patients with early Parkinson’s disease on stable levodopa therapy. Prasinezumab is the first anti-alpha synuclein antibody to advance into late-stage development. Prothena will earn a $60 million clinical milestone payment upon first patient dosed in this study. Further details are expected to be announced in the first half of 2021.
“We are very encouraged by the results from PASADENA, demonstrating significant slowing of motor progression and improvements on imaging biomarkers consistent with disease modification, as this provides a rich dataset to directly inform and de-risk this next late-stage study,” stated
About Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a progressive degenerative disorder of the entire nervous system that affects one in 100 people over age 60. An estimated seven to 10 million people are living with Parkinson's disease worldwide. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease. The disease is characterized by the neuronal accumulation of aggregated alpha-synuclein in the CNS and peripheral nervous system that results in a wide spectrum of worsening progressive motor and non-motor symptoms. While diagnosis relies on motor symptoms classically associated with Parkinson's disease, non-motor symptoms may present many years earlier. Current treatments for Parkinson's disease are symptomatic and only address a subset of symptoms such as motor impairment, dementia, or psychosis. There are currently no treatments available that target the underlying cause of the disease and can slow its progression.
About Alpha-synuclein
Alpha-synuclein, a protein found in neurons and other cells, is a major component of pathology that characterizes several neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, which collectively are termed synucleinopathies. The understanding of the normal physiological function of alpha-synuclein is limited, but evidence indicates that soluble forms of the protein may interact with other proteins and certain intracellular membranes. In synucleinopathies, the alpha-synuclein protein appears to be abnormally aggregated intracellularly, which contributes to disease pathology. There is increasing evidence that certain aggregated forms of alpha-synuclein can be transmitted from neuron to neuron, resulting in a propagation of pathology that causes neuronal dysfunction and loss. Recent studies in cellular and animal models of synucleinopathy suggest that the spread of alpha-synuclein-associated neuronal pathology can be disrupted by targeting aberrant forms of alpha-synuclein.
About Prasinezumab
Prasinezumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets alpha-synuclein, a protein found in neurons that can aggregate and spread from cell to cell, resulting in the neuronal dysfunction and loss that causes Parkinson’s disease. Prasinezumab is designed to block the cell-to-cell transmission of the aggregated, pathogenic forms of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease, thereby slowing clinical decline. Prior to initiating clinical trials, the efficacy of prasinezumab was evaluated in various cellular and animal models of alpha-synuclein-related disease. In alpha-synuclein transgenic mice, the murine version of prasinezumab reduced the appearance of alpha-synuclein pathology, protected synapses and halted the worsening of behavioral phenotypes. In
About
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to, among other things, the treatment potential and proposed mechanisms of action of prasinezumab; plans for the ongoing Phase 2 clinical study of prasinezumab; the design and timing of future clinical studies of prasinezumab; and amounts we might receive under our collaboration with Roche. These statements are based on estimates, projections and assumptions that may prove not to be accurate, and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to the effects on our business of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the risks, uncertainties and other factors described in the “Risk Factors” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Media and Investor Contact:
650-922-2405, ellen.rose@prothena.com
Source: Prothena Corporation plc