Herantis Pharma is advancing HER-096, a biologic with properties similar to Cerebral Dopamine Neurotrophic Factor, as a potential disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The company has been awarded €3.6m in funding from Parkinson’s UK’s Virtual Biotech programme and the Michael J. Fox Foundation to finance an early-stage clinical trial and an ongoing biomarker project. HER-096 previously completed a study in 60 healthy participants with no serious side effects observed. The current phase 1b trial in Finland will evaluate tolerability and safety in 24 people with Parkinson’s disease, comparing regular injections of HER-096 to placebo twice a week for four weeks. Researchers will collect exploratory biomarker data, including blood samples and cerebrospinal fluid via lumbar puncture, to inform dosing and evidence of biological effect. If successful, the company aims to progress to larger clinical studies and potentially offer a less invasive treatment to help recover dopamine-producing brain cells.

Total raised

$4M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jul 2024