AskBio Launches Phase II Gene Therapy Trial for Parkinson's with Promising Initial Results

January 14, 2025
AskBio Launches Phase II Gene Therapy Trial for Parkinson's with Promising Initial Results
  • REGENERATE-PD is a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial assessing the efficacy and safety of intraputaminal AB-1005 in adults aged 45 to 75.

  • Dr. Rajesh Pahwa, the trial's principal investigator, emphasized the significant need for new neurorestorative therapies for Parkinson's disease.

  • On January 14, 2025, AskBio Inc. announced the randomization of the first participants in its Phase II clinical trial for Parkinson's disease, known as REGENERATE-PD.

  • The trial aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AB-1005, with an expected enrollment of approximately 87 participants from the US, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

  • Christian Rommel noted the importance of AskBio's Parkinson’s program and the potential impact of gene therapy on treatment options for the disease.

  • Bayer AG, the parent company of AskBio, is a global leader in health care and nutrition, employing around 100,000 people and reporting significant sales and R&D expenditures in 2023.

  • At the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, AskBio presented 36-month Phase Ib data, indicating that AB-1005 was well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported.

  • In addition to its work on Parkinson's disease, AskBio is also exploring the use of AB-1005 for the parkinsonian subtype of multiple system atrophy in a separate Phase I clinical trial.

  • The company has initiated enrollment for this trial of AB-1005, a gene therapy specifically targeting moderate-stage Parkinson's disease, across clinical centers in the United States and beyond.

  • Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting over 10 million people globally, characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, with no current cure available.

  • AB-1005 is an investigational gene therapy utilizing an adeno-associated viral vector to deliver GDNF, a neurotrophic factor that may benefit dopaminergic neurons in the brain.

  • Current treatments for Parkinson's disease primarily focus on symptom management, highlighting the urgent need for effective new therapies.

Summary based on 2 sources


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