reMYND’s grant from the Michael J Fox Foundation in SciBX

The Science-Business eXchange (SciBX, a publication by the makers of BioCentury and Nature) devoted in its recent publication an article to the role the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research has been playing in the development of PD therapeutics. reMYND’s lead Parkinson program features in this article as a prime example of such support.

Excerpt from the article:

[…] According to reMYND CSO Gerard Griffioen, by 2009 “we knew we had a promising lead compound in ReS9-S7, but we needed more data to move the program along to the clinic. Specifically, we needed preclinical dose-response data to estimate the therapeutic dose. This was a crucial piece of information. A wide safety window is very important for a lifelong therapy.”

The preclinical data package reMYND submitted to MJFF showed the biotech was “fairly advanced in their α-synuclein-based therapeutic approach, and the protein is a high-priority target for MJFF because of its disease-modifying potential,” said Mark Frasier, MJFF’s director of research programs. “reMYND had gathered a lot of preliminary data, so they were really asking for support to put critical finishing touches on work they had already done.”

The grant helped reMYND show that ReS9-S7 was active at very low doses in animals, “and this translated into a low predicted therapeutic dose and thus a large safety window in patients,” Griffioen said. “This told us we had a high promise of success in the clinic.”

With these data in hand, reMYND announced a deal with Roche in 2010 that encompassed the biotech’s PD and Alzheimer disease (AD) programs. reMYND received an undisclosed upfront payment and is eligible for €500 million (about $723 million) in milestones plus royalties.

“If our results for ReS9-S7 had indicated the need for a high therapeutic dose, then for sure it would have been more difficult for us to engage in the collaboration with Roche,” Griffioen said. “So the support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation helped make this strategic alliance possible.” […]

The preclinical data package reMYND submitted to MJFF showed the biotech was “fairly advanced in their α-synuclein-based therapeutic approach, and the protein is a high-priority target for MJFF because of its disease-modifying potential,” said Mark Frasier, MJFF’s director of research programs. “reMYND had gathered a lot of preliminary data, so they were really asking for support to put critical finishing touches on work they had already done.”

The grant helped reMYND show that ReS9-S7 was active at very low doses in animals, “and this translated into a low predicted therapeutic dose and thus a large safety window in patients,” Griffioen said. “This told us we had a high promise of success in the clinic.”

With these data in hand, reMYND announced a deal with Roche in 2010 that encompassed the biotech’s PD and Alzheimer disease (AD) programs. reMYND received an undisclosed upfront payment and is eligible for €500 million (about $723 million) in milestones plus royalties.

“If our results for ReS9-S7 had indicated the need for a high therapeutic dose, then for sure it would have been more difficult for us to engage in the collaboration with Roche,” Griffioen said. “So the support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation helped make this strategic alliance possible.” […]