ANNOUNCEMENT FOR EUROPEAN MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL TRADE MEDIA AND EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MEDIA ONLY.
GOTHENBURG, SE / ACCESS Newswire / March 27, 2025 / IRLAB Therapeutics (STO:IRLAB-A)(FRA:6IRA), a company discovering and developing novel treatments for Parkinson's disease, today announced that its drug candidate IRL757 will be advanced into the next stage with a clinical study in patients with Parkinson's disease suffering from apathy. The financing of startup cost of the study will be covered by the McQuade Center for Strategic Research and Development (MSRD) through an initial payment to IRLAB of USD 4.5 million in the current quarter. The first patients with Parkinson's disease are expected to be enrolled in the second half of 2025.
The decision to advance the development of IRL757 into a safety and efficacy signal finding study (Phase Ib) in Parkinson's disease is based on the results in two recent Phase I studies: one in healthy adults and one in healthy adults aged 65 years and older.
"We are excited to continue our collaboration with MSRD, following the decision of the joint steering committee to continue the clinical development of IRL757, with a study aiming to find early signals of efficacy in Parkinson's patients suffering from apathy. The scientific and financial support from our partner enables us to continue the development of this first-in-class drug candidate at high speed," says Kristina Torfgård, CEO of IRLAB.
Apathy is characterized by indifference, resignation and a lack of response to what is happening in the outside world. The condition often leads to significant disability and caregiver distress, affecting a substantial proportion of people living with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other diseases related to the central nervous system. Currently, there are no drugs on the market to treat apathy.
IRLAB and MSRD, a member of the global Otsuka family of pharmaceutical companies, formed a collaboration in May 2024 to advance IRL757 through proof-of-concept trials as a potential treatment for apathy.
IRLAB's drug candidate IRL757 has shown positive effects in several preclinical models of cognitive function, including improved motivation. This effect is believed to be associated with the drug candidate's unique ability to counteract disturbances in central nervous system nerve signaling proposed to underly apathy in several neurological conditions.
For more information
Kristina Torfgård, CEO
Phone: +46 730 60 70 99
E-mail: kristina.torfgard@irlab.se
Nicholas Waters, EVP and Head of R&D
Phone: +46 730 75 77 01
E-mail: nicholas.waters@irlab.se
About IRL757
The drug candidate IRL757 is being developed as a treatment for apathy in Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions. Apathy, a widespread and debilitating issue, affects over 20 million people in the U.S. and Europe alone without a currently available treatment. The prevalence is high, occurring in 1.1-4 million people (20-70 percent) being treated with Parkinson's in the eight major markets (China, EU5, Japan, and the US), and in 4.9-6.7 million people (43-59 percent) being treated for Alzheimer's disease in the ten major markets (Canada, China, EU5, Japan, South Korea, and the US).
IRL757 has the potential to become the first treatment for apathy. The efficacy of IRL757 is thought to be linked to its unique ability to reverse disruption in cortical to sub-cortical nerve signalling, a key factor believed to contribute to apathy in neurological disorders.
About IRLAB
IRLAB discovers and develops a portfolio of transformative treatments for all stages of Parkinson's disease. The company originates from Nobel Laureate Prof Arvid Carlsson's research group and the discovery of a link between brain neurotransmitter disorders and brain diseases. Mesdopetam (IRL790), under development for treating levodopa-induced dyskinesias, has completed Phase IIb and is in preparation for Phase III. Pirepemat (IRL752), currently in Phase IIb, is being evaluated for its effect on balance and fall frequency in Parkinson's disease. IRL757, a compound being developed for the treatment of apathy in neurodegenerative disorders, is in Phase I. In addition, the company is developing two preclinical programs, IRL942 and IRL1117, towards Phase I studies. IRLAB's pipeline has been generated by the company's proprietary systems biology-based research platform Integrative Screening Process (ISP). Headquartered in Sweden, IRLAB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (IRLAB A). For more information, please visit www.irlab.se .
Attachments
IRLAB to initiate a study of IRL757 in Parkinsons's disease with full financial backing from its development partner MSRD
SOURCE: IRLAB Therapeutics
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