Michael J. Fox Foundation Awards $4.6M for Early Parkinson's Disease Research

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor.com



On Tuesday the Michael J. Fox Foundation announced the recepients of the Therapeutics Development Initiative award. The program was launched in 2006 to aid industry research by recognizing biotech and biopharmaceutical companies at the early discovery phase of key compounds for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.


A total of $4.6 million was awarded to the following groups:

Prasad Gabbita, PhD
P2D, Inc.
Cincinnati, Ohio

Small-molecule TNF-alpha Inhibitors as Neuroprotectant Drugs for PD



Erik A. Miljan, BSc, PhD
ReNeuron Limited
Surrey, United Kingdom

Development of a Biodegradable Delivery Matrix Containing Dopaminergic Neurons Derived from Clinical Grade Mesencephalic Stem Cell Lines for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease



Bruce H. Morimoto, PhD
Allon Therapeutics Inc.

Evaluation of the Neuroprotective Peptide NAPVSIPQ in Models of Parkinson's Disease



Peter H. Reinhart, PhD
Wyeth Research
Princeton, New Jersey

Development of a Disease Modifying Therapeutic for the Treatment of PD



Stacy Markison, PhD
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
San Diego, California
and
Sandra M. Lechner, PhD
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
San Diego, California

Neuroprotective Effects of A2A Antagonists in Rodent Models of Motor Function and Dyskinesia



Ofer Wiser, PhD
Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd.
Jerusalem, Israel
and
Benjamin Reubinoff, MD, PhD
The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Gynecology and The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Hospital
Jerusalem, Israel

Dopaminergic Neurons Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Transplantation Therapy in Parkinson's Disease



Gretchen Snyder, PhD
Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.

Preclinical Evaluation of a 5-HT2A Antagonist for Treatment of Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesias in Parkinson's Disease



Brandon Wustman, PhD
Amicus Therapeutics
Cranbury, New Jersey
and
Sean Clark, PhD
Amicus Therapeutics
Princeton University
Cranbury, New Jersey

Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease with AT2101, a Compound that Increases the Activity of Endogenous Glucocerebrosidase



Eti Yoles, PhD
Proneuron Biotechnologies
Ness-Ziona, Israel

PN277: A Neurorestorative, Protective Product for Parkinson's Disease



Steve Zhang, PhD
Sangamo Biosciences, Inc.
Richmond, California

Developing Engineered Zinc Finger Protein Transcriptional Activators of the Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) Gene as a Potential Therapy for Parkinson's Disease