KineMed Awarded Michael J. Fox Foundation Funding To Validate Translational Biomarker Of Microtubule Function In Parkinson's Disease

Main Category: Parkinson's Disease
Article Date: 08 Jan 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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KineMed, Inc., a pathway-based drug discovery and development company, has been awarded a grant of up to $694,441 (if all milestones are met) to conduct clinical studies toward a new biomarker-based treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). The funding, awarded under the Foundation's Therapeutics Development Initiative, enables KineMed to assess if its proprietary biomarker measurements of microtubule function (MT) and axonal transport can be applied to people that it pioneered in pre-clinical animal models of PD. If KineMed's clinical studies show that this cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker for MT function (which can be sampled by means of a spinal tap, also known as a lumbar puncture) is as informative and predictive of disease outcome in humans as has been demonstrated in KineMed's pre-clinical models, this will be an important step towards finding novel and more effective treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD). Should MT dysfunction contribute to PD in some patients, those patients would benefit from drug interventions that increase MT stability, such as KineMed's compounds presently in development. Results are expected in the first half of 2009.

KineMed CEO Robert B. Stein M.D., Ph.D., commented, "Disorders of microtubule function are becoming increasingly recognized as significant aspects of neurodegenerative diseases, including PD, Alzheimer's disease, and ALS. KineMed's approach can bring urgently needed improved tools to the study of these scourges and ultimately enable the development of desperately needed improved treatments. This is an example of the power of translational medicine studies to further our understanding of disease processes and aid in the creation of the beneficial medicines of the future."

Marc Hellerstein, M.D., Ph.D., Co-founder and Chairman of KineMed's Scientific Advisory Board and Chaired Professor at both UCSF Medical School and UC Berkeley, remarked that "It is exciting that two linked biochemical pathways - the assembly-disassembly cycle of MTs in neurons and the MT-mediated transport of proteins along axons to the nerve terminal - could be promising new therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases. The alterations in biochemical kinetics we have observed in neurodegeneration could only have been discovered with tools that measure the movement of molecules in living systems. Indeed, it was basic research at KineMed measuring the dynamics of biochemical processes in the living brain that led to these discoveries. The next challenge is to apply these tools and concepts to humans with diseases such as PD, as the Michael J. Fox Foundation funding enables us to pursue."

Patrizia Fanara, Ph.D., (Director of Neurodegenerative Diseases, KineMed Inc.) stated, "We at KineMed have long had the goal to develop translational biomarkers that reveal brain chemistry in living humans and provide insight into pathophysiology, disease progression and efficacy of treatment in patients with PD. We were tremendously impressed by the sense of urgency and the innovative spirit of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, who worked closely with us to design a project with the greatest chance of success. We are very excited to begin applying these tools in humans and look forward to a productive collaboration with the Foundation."

About KineMed, Inc.

KineMed, Inc. ("KineMed" or the "Company") is a drug discovery and development company employing its proprietary translational medicine technology (AquaTag™ and KineMarker™) to both identify active drug candidates preclinically and confirm their therapeutic activity and dose response in first-in-man studies. The Company is working to develop drugs both on its own and with pharmaceutical collaborators in therapeutic focus areas where it can demonstrate functional modulation of specific biological pathways that mediate disease.

KineMed's technology expedites the drug development process and provides real-time insight into conditions including metabolic disorders, cancer, and diseases of fibrosis, inflammation and neurodegeneration.

For further information about KineMed, please visit: http://www.kinemed.com

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Founded in 2000, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is dedicated to ensuring the development of a cure for Parkinson's disease within this decade through an aggressively funded research agenda. The Foundation has funded over $130 million in research to date, either directly or through partnerships.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research