DND Pharmatech announced on the 12th that its subsidiary Neuraly is conducting biomarker research and development (R&D) using serum samples from patients who participated in the Phase 2 clinical trial of NLY01 for Parkinson's disease, in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging (NIA) under the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
This project, jointly conducted by researchers from the three institutions, is led by Professor Ted Dawson of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a world-renowned expert in the field of degenerative brain diseases. At NIA, Dr. Dimitrios Kapogiannis, head of the neuroscience division and developer of a method for isolating brain cell-derived extracellular vesicles from blood, is a key researcher participating in the project.
The goal of this collaboration is to identify brain inflammation and Parkinson's disease-related biomarkers by utilizing vesicles secreted from the brain through serum samples from patients who participated in the NLY01 Phase 2 clinical trial, and to discover biomarkers that can distinguish between patients who showed therapeutic effects from NLY01 and those who did not. Through this, the ultimate objective is to more precisely evaluate the therapeutic effects of NLY01 and develop early diagnostic biomarkers for Parkinson's disease applicable in clinical settings. DND Pharmatech stated that aside from providing serum samples from patients who participated in the NLY01 Parkinson's disease Phase 2 clinical trial, no additional costs will be incurred.
NLY01 is a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drug under development targeting degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease. It completed a global Phase 2 clinical trial last year on Parkinson's disease patients. Although it failed to meet the primary efficacy endpoint, subgroup analysis showed significant therapeutic effects in younger Parkinson's disease patients under the age of 60.
Seulgi Lee, CEO of DND Pharmatech, said, "This collaboration is an important opportunity to establish a new turning point in Parkinson's disease treatment," adding, "Through cooperation with NIA and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, we expect to conduct more precise biomarker research to enhance the clinical value of NLY01 and contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease in the future."
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