IntelGenx Announces Research Collaboration with Renowned Neurologist to Evaluate Montelukast VersaFilm for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
IntelGenx Corp. announced a research collaboration with Per Svenningsson, MD, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute, to plan and conduct a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study (the “Study”) to investigate the use of IntelGenx’s Montelukast VersaFilm for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (“PD”).
Dr. Svenningsson will serve as the Principal Investigator for the planned Study and will sponsor it through a 20 million Swedish Crowns grant (approx. $2 million USD) awarded by the Swedish Research Council, Sweden’s largest governmental research funding body. IntelGenx will supply Dr. Svenningsson with both active and placebo films to be used in the 18-month treatment regimen for study participants. Upon completion of the Study, IntelGenx will retain the intellectual property rights and use the findings to further develop its Montelukast VersaFilm program for Parkinson’s disease treatment. The Study is currently expected to commence in the third quarter of 2023.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common movement disorders in elderly people and is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease (“AD”). It is a neurodegenerative disorder where misfolded alpha-synuclein-enriched aggregates, called Lewy bodies, are central in pathogenesis. No neuroprotective or disease-modifying treatments are currently available. The current standard treatment of PD motor dysfunction is based on the enhancement of dopaminergic transmission and involves the administration of L-dopa. Evidence from multiple patient studies and animal models has shown a significant immune component during the course of the disease, highlighting immunomodulation as a potential treatment strategy. Montelukast is a CysLT1 antagonist which decreases neuroinflammation by inhibiting CysLT1. Early results have indicated its potential usefulness for the treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders like PD and AD.
“We believe that Montelukast VersaFilm has the potential to be disease-modifying, not only in AD, as is being currently investigated in the Phase 2a ‘BUENA’ clinical trial, but also in PD,” said Dr. Horst G. Zerbe, CEO of IntelGenx. “Dr. Svenningsson is professor of Clinical Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute and investigates pathogenic mechanisms of PD. He has previously conducted a clinical study utilizing the tablet form of Montelukast in the treatment of PD, and we are excited that he will be leading this new clinical study with our proprietary oral film formulation of the drug.”