Parkinson’s disease is a complex, progressive neurological disorder affecting up to 10 million people worldwide.
Probably caused by clumps of alpha-synuclein protein that damage dopamine-producing cells governing motor control, Parkinson’s is characterized by tremor, rigidity, poor posture and slow movement.
About 150 Israeli startups are developing technologies to help prevent, stop or even cure Parkinson’s. Azilect (rasagiline), one of the most successful drugs for managing Parkinson’s symptoms, was developed in Israel by Prof. Moussa Youdim and is manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals.
Former Teva executives formed Pharma Two B in 2007 to see whether combining rasagiline with another approved Parkinson’s drug, pramipexole, could manage symptoms of early Parkinson’s in a better and safer way than either drug alone.
The seven-employee company’s lead investigational product candidate, P2B001, has completed successfully both Phase IIb and Phase III studies investigating its efficacy and safety as a once-daily oral treatment for early-stage Parkinson’s disease.
A new drug application (NDA) is expected to be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration in 2024.
“The holy grail in Parkinson’s is to find something that stops the disease’s progression, but nothing has advanced significantly yet, so we are left with controlling symptoms,” explains Dan Teleman, CEO of Pharma Two B.
“We’re targeting early Parkinson’s, the first few years after diagnosis before the disease progresses,” he tells ISRAEL21c.
