High-Dose Ambroxol in GBA1-Related Parkinson

Summary

Parkinson's disease (PD), affecting 10 million people globally, lacks a cure, and current therapies only manage symptoms. A link between Gaucher disease (GD) and PD, particularly in carriers of glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) mutations, has sparked interest in developing new drugs. Despite pharmaceutical companies focusing on formulations, progress is slow. Agyany, with decades of experience in GD research, plans clinical trials using existing generic drugs for GBA-related PD and idiopathic PD. Their approach targets the misfolded enzyme glucocerebrosidase with pharmacological chaperons, inspired by success in GD using ambroxol. The strategy aims to provide a quicker path to novel therapeutic options for PD.

Timeline

Start

2023-10-24

Primary completion

2025-02-27

Completion

2025-04-30

Publications

• Background Zimran A, Altarescu G, Elstein D. Pilot study using ambroxol as a pharmacological chaperone in type 1 Gaucher disease. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2013 Feb;50(2):134-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2012.09.006. Epub 2012 Oct 22.
• Background Mullin S, Smith L, Lee K, D'Souza G, Woodgate P, Elflein J, Hallqvist J, Toffoli M, Streeter A, Hosking J, Heywood WE, Khengar R, Campbell P, Hehir J, Cable S, Mills K, Zetterberg H, Limousin P, Libri V, Foltynie T, Schapira AHV. Ambroxol for the Treatment of Patients With Parkinson Disease With and Without Glucocerebrosidase Gene Mutations: A Nonrandomized, Noncontrolled Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2020 Apr 1;77(4):427-434. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.4611.
• Background Silveira CRA, MacKinley J, Coleman K, Li Z, Finger E, Bartha R, Morrow SA, Wells J, Borrie M, Tirona RG, Rupar CA, Zou G, Hegele RA, Mahuran D, MacDonald P, Jenkins ME, Jog M, Pasternak SH. Ambroxol as a novel disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson's disease dementia: protocol for a single-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. BMC Neurol. 2019 Feb 9;19(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s12883-019-1252-3.
• Background Becker-Cohen M, Zimran A, Dinur T, Tiomkin M, Cozma C, Rolfs A, Arkadir D, Shulman E, Manor O, Paltiel O, Yahalom G, Berg D, Revel-Vilk S. A Comprehensive Assessment of Qualitative and Quantitative Prodromal Parkinsonian Features in Carriers of Gaucher Disease-Identifying Those at the Greatest Risk. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 13;23(20):12211. doi: 10.3390/ijms232012211.
• Background Hannaway N, Zarkali A, Leyland LA, Bremner F, Nicholas JM, Wagner SK, Roig M, Keane PA, Toosy A, Chataway J, Weil RS. Visual dysfunction is a better predictor than retinal thickness for dementia in Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2023 Sep;94(9):742-750. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2023-331083. Epub 2023 Apr 20.
• Background Giladi N, Alcalay RN, Cutter G, Gasser T, Gurevich T, Hoglinger GU, Marek K, Pacchetti C, Schapira AHV, Scherzer CR, Simuni T, Minini P, Sardi SP, Peterschmitt MJ. Safety and efficacy of venglustat in GBA1-associated Parkinson's disease: an international, multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet Neurol. 2023 Aug;22(8):661-671. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(23)00205-3.
• Background Julien C, Hache G, Dulac M, Dubrou C, Castelnovo G, Giordana C, Azulay JP, Fluchere F. The clinical meaning of levodopa equivalent daily dose in Parkinson's disease. Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2021 Jun;35(3):620-630. doi: 10.1111/fcp.12646. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

Drugs

Indications