Benzinga | Jun 8, 2021 02:16PM EDT

Bayer's Cell, Gene Therapies for Parkinson's Disease Enters Human Trials

* Bayer AG's (OTC:BAYRY) Parkinson's disease stem cell therapy has officially landed in the clinic, while another treatment for the neurodegenerative movement disorder is recruiting patients.

* Bayer's subsidiary BlueRock Therapeutics's trial will eventually enroll 10 participants. Patients will have dopamine-producing cells surgically implanted into a part of the brain called the putamen.

* The trial will primarily examine the safety and tolerability of DA01 cell transplantation a year after the procedure.

* Secondary goals include assessing evidence of cell survival following transplant and motor effects one and two years after surgery.

* Additional safety and tolerability data will be collected at the two-year mark.

* The company has also kicked off a gene therapy trial in Parkinson's disease, this time through Asklepios BioPharmaceutical. That trial is a phase 1b.

* The AskBio trial, meanwhile, will also target the putamen with an AAV gene therapy. The virus will deliver a gene to boost GDNF gene expression, which has been shown in preclinical models to promote the regeneration of neurons and motor recovery.

* The study has enrolled ten patients since August 2020.

* Price Action: BAYRY shares are down 0.25% at $16.15 during the market session on the last check Tuesday.