Parkinson’s disease

According to a WHO report from 2022, globally, disability and death due to PD are increasing faster than any other neurological disorder; doubling in the past 25 years. PD affects around 0.3% of the entire population in Western countries. Prevalence increases with age, reaching 1% of the population aged over 60. As such, many countries are investing huge amounts in R&D aiming to improve the quality, services and efficiency of solutions for patients and the community. While there are currently medications that can help manage symptoms, these treatments become less effective over time and can cause significant side effects. The disease is costly to manage, and the cost of care is expected to increase as the population ages. New drugs for PD have the potential to improve the quality of life for millions of people living with the disease and their caregivers. They could also reduce the economic burden of the disease on healthcare systems and society as a whole.

GeneCode is developing a novel small molecule anti-PD drug that efficiently reaches the brain and spinal cord. GDNF mimetics is mimicking the action of GDNF protein activating similar pathways and alleviating both motor and non-motor symptoms in PD patients, protecting and restoring lesioned dopamine neurons as well as potentially increasing dopamine levels in brain tissue. GeneCode’s unique solution uses small molecule compounds that penetrate through the blood-brain barrier, target the GFL receptor complex and mimic GFL (GDNF family of ligands) biological effects in neurons, promoting survival and function of the affected dopaminergic neuronal pathways. Once fully developed, the PD drug would be administered weekly or less frequently as an oral treatment.