GSK, ProteoTech enter R&D agreement to develop new Parkinson's therapeutics

ProteoTech, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, has entered into a drug development agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (China) R&D Company Limited (GSK) to collaborate on ProteoTech's small molecule technology platform against misfolded proteins to specifically advance work on its alpha-synuclein therapeutic program for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies.

Steve Runnels, CEO of ProteoTech, stated "We are pleased to be working with GlaxoSmithKline on the identification and optimization of new therapeutic compounds for Parkinson's and other synucleinopathies, such as Lewy Body Dementia and Multiple System Atrophy. We are excited to be working with this leading pharmaceutical company on this important project which further validates ProteoTech's small molecule approach for developing therapies against diseases caused by misfolded proteins."

Initial support for ProteoTech's alpha-synuclein therapeutic research program was funded over a four-year period by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). Todd Sherer, PhD, the Chief Executive Officer of the MJFF commented, "We have followed ProteoTech's success on this therapeutic development program over the years and are extremely pleased to see this collaboration between them and GlaxoSmithKline to accelerate the development of a potential disease modifying treatment for this debilitating disease. This is what we all hoped to see when ProteoTech was initially granted the LEAPS award from our Foundation."