Organizations will assess the ability of compounds to block Omeros’ target, which is linked to movement disorders.
The Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center will help Omeros evaluate its target for the treatment of movement disorders. Omeros and The Parkinson’s Institute will conduct studies of one or more compound that block Omeros’ target in a widely used model for the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Omeros’ earlier studies in a similar model showed that compounds blocking this target were as effective as levodopamine, or L-DOPA, the standard treatment for Parkinson’s.
“Omeros’ experimental data are the first that I have ever seen to show efficacy equivalent to that of L-DOPA,” says J. William Langston, Ph.D., scientific director and founder of PI. “Based on the potential for lower dosing and the proposed mechanism of action for Omeros’ target, which is different than that of L-DOPA and related dopamine agonists, Omeros’ discovery may lead to drugs that could reduce the debilitating side effects of current treatments.”
Previous data also showed that compounds blocking this target potentiate the effect of L-DOPA. Omeros thus plans on exploring the clinical utility of these and similar compounds, both singly and in combination with L-DOPA.
