Why it matters: Parkinson\u2019s treatments can help manage symptoms, but none has been shown to slow or stop the disease. TT-P34 is designed to protect neurons by targeting cellular processes involved in neurodegeneration, placing it among treatments that aim to alter Parkinson\u2019s progression itself.<\/p>\n
Zoom in: The Phase 1 trial tested TT-P34 in 55 healthy volunteers before enrolling 12 people with early-stage Parkinson\u2019s. Once-weekly subcutaneous doses were well tolerated at all levels tested, with no dose-limiting findings, according to Teitur. Pharmacokinetic analysis also showed dose-dependent exposure in the brain and central nervous system<\/p>\n
How it works: TT-P34 is a cyclic peptide designed to improve the function of mitochondria, which provide cells with energy, and lysosomes, which help cells break down and clear damaged material. Both processes can become dysfunctional in neurodegenerative diseases, contributing to neuron loss.<\/p>\n
Backstory: Teitur spun out of Aarhus University in 2020 and raised<\/a> a \u20ac28 million Series A in 2023 to take its peptide platform into clinical development. With TT-P34 through Phase 1, the company is now raising a Series B to fund the planned Phase 2 study.<\/p>\n The big picture: Several approaches to disease modification in Parkinson\u2019s are further along. Ambroxol, which targets the lysosomal enzyme GCase, is being tested<\/a> in a phase 3 study, while Roche\u2019s prasinezumab, an antibody targeting alpha-synuclein, also entered<\/a> a phase 3 trial this year despite missing<\/a> the primary endpoint in phase 2b back in December 2024.<\/p>\n