Benzinga | Nov 29, 2021 08:07AM EST

Inhibikase Therapeutics Announces Publication Highlighting Mechanism Of Disease And Potential Of Oral c-Abl Kinase Inhibitor Therapy For Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease

Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKT) ("Inhibikase" or "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics to modify the course of Parkinson's disease and related disorders, today announced the publication of a paper describing the biochemical rationale and potential benefit of Abelson Tyrosine Kinase (c-Abl) inhibition as a potential disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's Disease. The article, titled "Parkinson's Disease Modification Through Abl Kinase Inhibition: An Opportunity" was published online in the journal Movement Disorders on November 24, 2021 (DOI: 10/1002/mds.28858).

The publication analyzes the role of both c-Abl, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, as well as misfolded alpha-synuclein in the initiation and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Early research in PD hypothesized that misfolded alpha-synuclein was the primary driver in initiating the disease process. However, novel humanized preclinical mouse models of progressive, alpha-synuclein-dependent disease, indicate that while the presence of misfolded alpha-synuclein is necessary, it is not sufficient to initiate the disease. The internalization of misfolded alpha-synuclein within the affected neurons activates c-Abl, which in turns modifies the internalized misfolded protein to create a toxic form of alpha-synuclein and triggering effectors that drive the neurodegenerative disease processes. Therapeutic administration of IkT-148009, a highly selective c-Abl kinase inhibitor, demonstrated the ability to clear alpha-synuclein aggregates from the brain and GI tract, promote regeneration of neurons, and induce substantial functional recovery in measures of motor and non-motor function. These studies support that the inhibition of c-Abl could have disease modifying effects and further support the continued clinical development of IkT-148009.

"Parkinson's disease affects an estimated one million people in the U.S. and remains a significant unmet medical need. Today's publication provides a detailed mechanistic understanding of the early steps in the disease process and the role c-Abl plays in neurodegeneration. Our lead candidate, IkT-148009, a selective c-Abl kinase inhibitor, has demonstrated the potential to halt and reverse disease progression in animal models," stated Milton H. Werner, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Inhibikase Therapeutics and principal author of the manuscript published today along with co-author and Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Warren Olanow. "IkT-148009 is currently in a Phase 1b extension study in Parkinson's patients, which we believe will give us an early look into safety and tolerability of IkT-148009 in patients and evaluate potential improvements across motor and non-motor aspects of the disease in patients over 7-day dosing. We anticipate completing this extension study in 2022, and expect to present data from our Phase 1 and possibly Phase 1b studies at the AD-PD Meeting to be held March 15-20, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain."