Friday, May 22, 2009

ProSavin Update for Parkinson's Disease

Another Next Best Hope for PD

Well if I were in the financial world I could probably tell you more about the Prosavin Clinical Trial I/II progress. The word on the Street is that the Oxford Biomedica-Sanofi-Aventis Collaboration has produced enough cash based upon their lentivector program to carry on until 2012. Actually the money comes on the rights give-back of TroVax, a projected cancer treatment with a possible patent lawsuit which may or may not have been settled. But the word is that the trials for ProSavin are going well.

Just when Phase III will actually begin although previously mentioned for a 2009 start year remains to be seen.

As you know, Prosavin is designed to deliver the genes for three enzmes required for dopamine production. ProSavin carries the genes AADC, TH and CH1 which then convert cells which do not normally produce dopamine to become dopamine producing.

Thus far three patients received low doses of ProSavin and all demonstrated improvement in their UPDERS motor scores between 10-50%. Patients apparently continued to take L-Dopa meds. There is also a high dose study in progress.

Things look encouraging.

The key enzymes:
AADC - aromatic l-amino acid dicarboxylase
aka dopa dicarbozylasea deficiency of this enzyme
is associated with autonomic dysfunction
and is extremely rare
TH - tryosine hydroxylase
CH1 - GTP-cyclohydrolase 1

Additional reading:
The GCH1 gene
From Oxford Biomedica: ProSavin

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