Vaccine Targeted Against Aggregated Alpha-Synuclein Takes Aim at Parkinson's Disease
United Neuroscience (UNS), a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering a new class of medicine to treat and prevent brain disorders, today announced the presentation of pre-clinical evidence for UB-312, a Parkinson's disease vaccine candidate, at the Parkinson's UK Research Conference held in York, England, from Nov. 12 - 13. Dr. Hui Jing Yu, Medical Director of UNS, delivered the presentation "Anti-alpha synuclein active immunotherapy in Parkinson's disease," on Monday, Nov. 12 at 11:50 a.m. GMT. In this presentation, Dr. Yu highlighted the potential of the Company's technology to address brain disorders across a variety of therapeutic areas, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Data presented demonstrate that the UB-312 vaccine presents numerous advantages over traditional vaccines when treating progressive disorders like Parkinson's disease. The vaccine was confirmed to selectively target and prevent accumulation of pathogenic forms of alpha-synuclein proteins in in vitro and in vivo mouse studies, as well as in post-mortem brain tissue from patients with Parkinson's disease, Dementia with Lewy bodies and Multiple System Atrophy.
"Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease, affecting approximately 7 million people worldwide," said Ajay Verma, Chief Medical Officer of UNS. "In fact, aggregated alpha-synuclein plays a prominent role in multiple disorders of cognition, movement and autonomic function. The ability of UB-312 antisera to target toxic alpha-synuclein species in several disorders will allow us to address multiple neurodegenerative conditions including Parkinson's disease."
Chief Executive Officer Mei Mei Hu added that "Expansion of UNS' proprietary 'Endobody' vaccine technology platform to other targets affirms our goal of becoming a global leader in neurodegenerative disorders and asserts our vision of democratizing brain health."
The proprietary platform technology of UNS, UBITh®, has successfully proven its efficiency and potential for a broad range of therapeutic applications starting with UB-311, the Company's Alzheimer's disease vaccine. UB-311 is currently in a Phase IIa study with top-line results expected by the end of the year.
"We are very pleased with the promising results of UB-312 in both in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies, which supports our efforts to develop a convenient and cost-effective treatment for Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Hui Jing Yu, Medical Director of UNS. "With this platform, and thanks to the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Parkinson's UK Research Conference, we will continue driving forward our efforts to improve the lives of millions of people suffering from neurodegenerative disorders."
About UB-312 in Parkinson's Disease
Active vaccination of human individuals against pathogenic forms of α-synuclein (αSyn) has yet to be safely and effectively achieved. UB-312-induced antibodies have been shown to preferentially bind pathogenic fibrillar αSyn strains and promote disaggregation while preserving motor function, body weight and survival in animal models of aggregated aSyn pathology. The proprietary platform technology of UNS, UBITh®, can generate site-specific B-cell epitope's antigens that overcome the frequent issue of self-tolerance, while inducing an optimal and targeted immune response. UNS has begun an observational study to establish a biomarker by phenotyping a trial-ready cohort of Parkinson's disease patients in the United Kingdom and will commence a Phase I study in The Netherlands in 2019 with UB-312.
About Parkinson's UK
Parkinson's UK is the United Kingdom's leading charity supporting those with the condition. Its mission is to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson's through cutting edge research, information, support and campaigning. The Parkinson's UK Research Conference is held every two years and brings Parkinson's researchers together to share ideas and develop collaborations that translate into the development of truly transformational new treatments in the field and it is organized by the Parkinson's UK Research and Support Charity.
About United Neuroscience
United Neuroscience (UNS) is a clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to the development of best-in-class immunotherapeutics for the brain. A global company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with operations in Taiwan and the United States, UNS was founded to address the social and economic burden of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases and seeks to rapidly advance candidates into and through clinical trials with the goal of delivering breakthrough treatments to patients. For more information please visit www.unitedneuroscience.com.
Follow UNS on Twitter at https://twitter.com/UNSTechBio and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedneuroscience.
Media Contacts
David Schull or Brittanie Dougherty
Russo Partners, LLC
(212) 845-4271
(646) 942-5634
david.schull@russopartnersllc.com
brittanie.dougherty@russopartnersllc.com
Russo Partners, LLC
(212) 845-4271
(646) 942-5634
david.schull@russopartnersllc.com
brittanie.dougherty@russopartnersllc.com
SOURCE United Neuroscience
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-neuroscience-strengthens-vaccine-pipeline-with-novel-immunotherapy-for-parkinsons-disease-300749220.html
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