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news.UK-based ReNeuron has been awarded a grant from the Michael J Fox Foundation to develop its stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease.
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ReNeuron recently applied to the FDA to request trials of a controversial treatment using the stem cells of fetuses to treat stroke patients.
The worldwide market for Parkinson's disease treatments is dominated by drugs that manage the symptoms of the disease but do not stop the progression of the disease and are poorly tolerated in many patients.
However, ReNeuron has previously presented data showing that its ReN004 candidate stem cell lines have the potential to reverse the neurological deficits in preclinical models of Parkinson's disease. The data indicated good in vivo survival of the cell lines and expression of the appropriate markers for dopaminergic neurons, the cell type deficient in Parkinson's patients.
The grant will allow ReNeuron to build on this preclinical data and also develop a biodegradable delivery matrix which the company believes will be required to successfully implant the required cell type into Parkinson's patients. The grant will fund the ReN004 program over the next year, accelerating its progress towards human trials.