Imagine the brain as a city where the waste disposal system has broken down, causing toxic protein clumps to block the streets. This treatment acts like a specialized cleaning crew that can slip through the brain's protective wall to clear the trash and protect vital neurons. Instead of just masking the symptoms, it aims to fix the underlying plumbing to stop the disease from getting worse.
Current Parkinson's treatments only mask symptoms and do not stop the disease. This creates a massive economic burden of 14 B€ annually in the EU due to progressive disability.
A peptidomimetic drug (HER-096) and a set of validated preclinical biomarkers for tracking disease progression and target engagement.
If you are a global biopharma company dealing with a lack of disease-modifying options for neurodegeneration — this project developed HER-096 that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier. It targets the root cause of Parkinson's to slow or stop progression. This offers a first-in-class asset for a market affecting 10 million people worldwide.
If you are a biotech firm dealing with the difficulty of getting large molecules into the brain — this project developed a peptidomimetic delivered via patient-friendly subcutaneous injection. This removes the need for invasive brain surgery. It provides a scalable delivery model for brain-penetrating therapies.
If you are a healthcare provider dealing with the 14 B€ annual cost of Parkinson's in the EU — this project developed a therapy to stop disease progression. By reducing the chronic disability of 1.2 million EU patients, it could significantly lower long-term care expenditures. This shifts the burden from symptom management to disease modification.
Based on available project data, the specific price per dose is not mentioned; however, the project notes that the annual cost of PD in the EU is currently 14 B€.
The project has manufactured HER-096 for preclinical chronic toxicity studies and is currently improving the product formulation to increase concentration for subcutaneous use.
The specific aim of the project is to achieve clinical proof of concept to enable out-licensing HER-096 to a global industry partner for commercialization.
Preclinical toxicity studies are ongoing, with the in-life phase expected to end in August 2025.
HER-096 is designed for patient-friendly subcutaneous injection, allowing it to penetrate the blood-brain barrier.
The project is led by a single Finnish SME, Herantis Pharma Oyj, with a 100% industry ratio. This lean structure indicates a high level of internal control over the IP and a focused goal of reaching a clinical milestone to attract a larger global partner.
Contact Herantis Pharma Oyj via their official corporate website.
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for HER-096.
