Earlier this month, Denmark-based biotechnology company Teitur Trophics announced positive Phase I clinical trial results (2025-521357-17-00) for its therapeutic peptide, TT-P34. The drug triggers a neuroprotective benefit when exposed to the central nervous system (CNS).
“One of the hardest parts of treating Parkinson’s is getting a drug into the brain in a meaningful amount,” co-founder and CEO of Teitur Trophics Simon Mølgaard explained to BioXconomy. “In our Phase I trial, we measured how much TT-P34 actually reached the fluid around the brain and spinal cord. The amounts we saw are in the range we believe is needed to have a real effect on the disease.”
“Showing that the drug reaches the brain and hits its target is an important early sign that we’re on the right track.”
According to the company, TT-P34 works through a dual mechanism, acting on both the lysosomal and mitochondrial dysfunction that contributes to the pathology of Parkinson’s. The peptide originates from the neuro-regulatory SorCS2 transmembrane receptor. TT-P34 is designed to reactivate the transcription factor CREB, which is essential for neuronal cell health and restores mitochondrial and lysosomal functionality.
“Two of the best-understood problems in Parkinson’s happen inside brain cells,” Mølgaard elaborated. “The first is when mitochondria fail to produce enough energy. The second is when the lysosome, the recycling system, stops clearing away waste effectively. These two together drive disease progression.”
“Most treatments currently in development tackle only one of these. TT-P34 is designed to improve both at once.”
As well as demonstrating adequate CNS exposure, the Phase I results also revealed a well-tolerated safety profile and validated a once-weekly dosing schedule.
The other key readout came from testing the peptide’s effects on lysosomes.
“In our trial, most of the Parkinson’s patients who received TT-P34 showed changes in several of these recycling-related proteins in the fluid around the brain, all moving together in a consistent way,” Mølgaard continued. “This suggests the drug is reaching the right cells and doing what we designed it to do.”
Given these early positive results, Teitur Trophics’ plans for TT-P34 are unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
“Our Phase I results are an early but encouraging sign,” noted Mølgaard. “Our Phase II trial, planned for 2027, will start to explore whether TT-P34 offers real benefit and can slow the disease.”
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.