Spur Therapeutics Ltd., formerly Freeline Therapeutics, has announced new data from its GBA1 Parkinson’s disease research program. In a subset of Parkinson’s disease patients with mutations in the GBA1 gene, such mutations lead to a deficiency of the glucocerebrosidase (GCase) enzyme and the accumulation of harmful substrates.

“Do dreams predict the future?” Abidemi Otaiku asked his audience at the 10th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, currently being held in Helsinki. Most audience members, being hard-boiled scientists, did not believe they did. But Otaiku, whose work won the award for best clinical abstract at the conference, presented data indicating that in some cases, they can.

NLS Pharmaceutics Ltd. has announced preclinical results from in vitro studies targeting α-synuclein, specifically the A53T mutation, demonstrating the potential of Aexon Labs Inc.’s compounds for Parkinson’s disease.

Shanghai Henlius Biotech Inc. has announced preclinical data showing that its small-molecule drug HLX-99 exhibited antineurodegenerative activities in multiple models, warranting further development.

As new treatment options are being continually investigated and trialed against Parkinson’s disease, the possibilities offered by deep brain stimulation (DBS) risk being overlooked. Though not a cure, the therapy could vastly improve the quality of life for patients with the disease.

Alchemab Therapeutics Ltd. has been awarded a grant of $595,000 by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to support its Parkinson’s disease program.