BioArctic AB has announced plans to use its proprietary Brain Transporter technology to develop a new disease modifying treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
The Swedish biopharma company, BioArctic AB, focuses on the development of disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), or motor neurone syndrome.
The new project, known as PD-BT2238, will utilise the company’s proprietary Brain Transporter technology, to increase exposure of the antibody in the brain, with the aim of increasing efficacy of a potential treatment in Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nervous system.
The first symptoms could be barely noticeable tremors of a hand or a leg. As the disease progresses, people may develop difficulties walking and talking, experience mental and behavioural changes such as sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties and fatigue.
Today, several symptomatic treatments are available, but as of yet no disease modifying alternatives exists.
BioArctic’s aim is to develop an antibody treatment targeting soluble aggregated forms of alpha-synuclein, a protein that is genetically and neuropathologically linked to Parkinson’s disease and believed to be an important initiating factor in the disease development.
The PD-BT2238 project is a second-generation alpha-synuclein antibody, combining an oligomer-selective alpha-synuclein antibody with BioArctic’s Brain Transporter technology, designed to improve brain exposure.
Gunilla Osswald, BioArctic’s CEO, explained: “BioArctics proprietary Brain Transporter technology has the opportunity to improve brain exposure and thereby the efficacy of biologic treatments for various neurodegenerative diseases.
“We are therefore very excited to also bring this technology into our Parkinson’s disease project portfolio.”
BioArctic’s alpha-synuclein frontrunner BAN0805 is currently in preparation for phase 2, while potential partnerships are being explored.
Phase 1 data showed that BAN0805 was well tolerated, supporting continuation into phase 2 with once-monthly dosing.