The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) will fund a Phase Ib study with Sanofi’s PDE4 inhibitor AVE 8112 in patients with Parkinson disease. The study will be carried out in the U.S., and patient enrollment is expected to start later this year. Resulting data will essentially remain the property of MJFF, and will be shared with Sanofi, to determine future development plans for the drug.
“AVE 8112 has shown promising pro-cognitive activity in preclinical models that could be of interest to the under-addressed cognitive aspects of Parkinson disease, an area of unmet need where a new treatment could make a tangible difference in patients’ lives,” comments Todd Sherer, Ph.D., MJFF CEO.
Sanofi’s Genzyme business is separately carrying out Phase I development with an AAV-AADC gene therapy candidate for Parkinson disease.