Ipsen announces new Parkinson’s drug development alliance

Ipsen has announced a new collaboration in the field of Parkinson's disease with Oncodesign and the Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy (LNGT) at KU Leuven.

The joint research will focus on the evaluation of Oncodesign’s compounds in multiple pharmacology models for Parkinson's disease, utilising LNGT's understanding of the roles of LRRK2 and alpha-synuclein in the development of the condition.

It builds on Ipsen's existing partnership with Oncodesign and will allow the companies to benefit from additional in-depth expertise and advanced pharmacology models in the creation of new therapy options.

Under the terms of the agreement, Oncodesign and LNGT will work together closely on the new studies, while LNGT will receive full financial support from Oncodesign for these activities.

Dr Claude Bertrand, executive vice-president for research and development and chief scientific officer at Ipsen, said: "We are delighted that our partnership with Oncodesign is moving forward as planned with the objective of developing therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease patients."

Earlier this month, Ipsen announced that it has completed enrolment for a phase III trial of its drug tasquinimod for the treatment of prostate cancer, in association with partner Active Biotech.