A collaboration has been announced between AstraZeneca and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company for the development and commercialisation of an alpha-synuclein antibody, MEDI1341, as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson's disease
“Today there are no medicines that can slow or halt the degenerative progress of Parkinson's disease so this remains a large area of unmet medical need,” emphasized Mene Pangalos, executive vice president, Innovative Medicines & Early Development Biotech Unit and Global Business Development at AstraZeneca. “Takeda has an excellent track record in neuroscience research and we are excited to be working together. By combining our scientific expertise and sharing the risks and cost of development, we hope to accelerate the advancement of MEDI1341 as a promising new approach to support the treatment of people with Parkinson’s disease around the world.”
“Despite modest advancements in maintenance therapies, Parkinson’s disease continues to represent a devastating diagnosis and a burdensome challenge for therapeutic discovery,” added Emiliangelo Ratti, head, Global CNS Therapeutic Area Unit, Takeda. “Our collaboration with AstraZeneca is a sophisticated one that will enable us to efficiently advance a validated target in a new modality, with the aim of improving the lives of patients.”
MEDI1341 is an antibody that has a lower interaction with the immune system and is differentiated from other alpha-synuclein antibodies as is reported to have the potential to offer a better efficacy and safety profile. It is due to enter Phase I clinical trials later this year.