Pharmaceutical company Neuropore Therapies will team up with Belgian drugmaker UCB in a $480 million deal to study early-stage treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

An MJFF grant recipient, Neuropore was selected to receive funds through the Foundation's Synuclein Therapeutic Acceleration Program in 2010 and 2013 and was highlighted in the 1H 2014 Partnering Program for the pre-clinical study of its drug NPT200-11 to prevent toxicity of the protein alpha-synuclein, which misfolds in all cases of Parkinson’s disease.

Following positive preliminary results, Neuropore’s NPT200-11 attracted UCB’s attention, resulting in the $480 million in follow-on funding to push the drug further through the pipeline. NNPT200-11 is expected to move into its first clinical trial later this year.

Another Pharma Company Announces Investment
Neurophage, another MJFF grantee, recently announced an additional $10 million in venture capital to advance its lead compound against alpha-synuclein toxicity. This deal grows on $17 million in financing that the company secured last year. Neurophage also expects to move its compound, NPT088, into clinical trials by the end of 2015.