Drug for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

New drug soon as a drug against neurodegenerative diseases in the market?

02/24/2014

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or dementia, Parkinson's or Creutzfeldt-Jakob are characterized by a slow loss of mental and physical abilities. The treatment options for such diseases have so far remained extremely limited. However, scientists from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for biophysical chemistry in Göttingen have discovered a promising drug that plays an important role in the deposition of disease-related protein accumulations in the brain Role, reduce.

With the newly developed active ingredient „In the future, diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob could possibly be slowed down or even stopped, as disease-related processes are directly inhibited“, reports MODAG GmbH, which, as a joint spin-off of the LMU and MPI, is to develop the active ingredient to market maturity. The first round of financing was concluded by MODAG, with the participation of Bayerische Patentallianz GmbH, with the Ludwig Maximilian University and the Max Planck Society for eight million euros. The introduction of an appropriate drug for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease seems to be within reach.

Harmful protein deposits are avoided
Deposits of protein accumulations, which lead to damage to the nerve cells, form the basis of many neurodegenerative diseases. For example „In Parkinson's, conspicuous deposits of clumped synuclein proteins in the brain become visible under the microscope“, reports the MODAG. The precursors of these deposits built up of several identical units, so-called oligomers, have a strong neurotoxic effect, which causes the typical symptoms such as muscle twitching, muscle tremors, movement disorders and muscle rigidity. „Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease also contains pathogenic protein deposits caused by the so-called prion protein“, so continue the MODAG message. The research team headed by Professor Armin Giese, from the Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research of the LMU and Professor Dr. med. Christian Griesinger from the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry claims to have „developed a drug candidate that prevents the development of toxic oligomeric protein forms in tests on Parkinson's mice, thus delaying the progression of nerve cell damage to an unprecedented extent and extends the disease-free phase.“

New active ingredient inhibits disease-relevant processes
The newly developed active ingredient named „anle138b“ put „directly and specifically to oligomeric protein forms“ prevent the assembly and the emergence of new oligomeric disease-relevant protein forms so early, the scientists report. In addition, the „synthesized drug that was administered to the test mice in the diet, very well tolerated in therapeutic doses“ shown. It passes the blood-brain barrier very efficiently and therefore achieves a high level of effect in the brain at a low absorbed dose. „. The mice treated with anle138b achieved a significantly longer lifetime and were able to coordinate their movements significantly better than their untreated sick counterparts“, the researchers write. The disease-relevant processes were immediately inhibited. „But not only in Parkinson's disease, the new substance was effective“, but also for Alzheimer's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob according to the scientists positive research results are available. So have „anle138b“ Creutzfeldt-Jakob also effectively prevented the accumulation of diseased protein clumps, which significantly longer the surviving mice survived. Similarly, the results in mouse models for Alzheimer's disease are encouraging.

Timely market readiness of a new drug possible
„Based on its previous study results, MODAG GmbH sincerely hopes that together with a new active substance we will be able to provide the urgently needed help for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's patients through an early and safe therapy“, explained MODAG Managing Director, Dr. med. Torsten Matthias. Secured under patent law is the underlying basic technology as a joint invention of the LMU and the MPI for biophysical chemistry. It was exclusively licensed by MODAG GmbH. Peer Biskup, Managing Director of Bayerische Patentallianz GmbH, which acts as a patent marketing agency for Bavarian universities and colleges, emphasized: „We are pleased that we were able to help focus the research skills of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in the area of ​​drug discovery in this promising start-up company.“ Astrid Giegold, Start-up & Portfolio Manager at Max-Planck-Innovation, the technology transfer organization of the Max Planck Society, praised the cooperation and explained that MODAG „In addition to outstanding research expertise, he also has the necessary development expertise as well as extensive business management know-how“ dispose. (Fp)

Image: Martin Gapa