By Dow Jones Business News, December 11, 2013, 05:05:00 PM EDT Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) has entered a pact with Prothena Corp. PLC ( PRTA ) to develop and commercialize a treatment the clinical-stage biotechnology firm is developing for Parkinson's disease. Prothena, which generates almost no revenue, has a portfolio of three therapeutic antibody programs, including one for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, which has no cure. The product candidates have yet to reach Phase 2 development. As part of the collaboration with Swiss-based Roche, Prothena will receive up to $600 million, inclusive of upfront payment and near-term clinical milestone totaling $45 million, as well as 30% of U.S. profits and up to double-digit royalties on net sales outside the U.S. A majority of the potential payments to Prothena are linked to achievements of development, regulatory and first commercial sales milestones. As part of the agreement, Roche and Prothena are initiating a research collaboration. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. In early stages, an individual's face may show little or no expression and speech may become soft or slurred. The disease's symptoms worsen over time. Shares of Prothena, unchanged in after-hours trading, have … Continue reading →

By Dow Jones Business News, December 11, 2013, 04:51:00 PM EDT By John Kell Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) has entered a pact with Prothena Corp. PLC ( PRTA ) to develop and commercialize a treatment the clinical-stage biotechnology firm is developing for Parkinson's disease. Prothena, which generates almost no revenue, has a portfolio of three therapeutic antibody programs, including one for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, which has no cure. The product candidates have yet to reach Phase 2 development. As part of the collaboration with Swiss-based Roche, Prothena will receive up to $600 million, inclusive of upfront payment and near-term clinical milestone totaling $45 million, as well as 30% of U.S. profits and up to double-digit royalties on net sales outside the U.S. A majority of the potential payments to Prothena are linked to achievements of development, regulatory and first commercial sales milestones. As part of the agreement, Roche and Prothena are initiating a research collaboration. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. In early stages, an individual's face may show little or no expression and speech may become soft or slurred. The disease's symptoms worsen over time. Shares of Prothena, unchanged in … Continue reading →

A groundbreaking attempt to heal eight Parkinson's patients with their own cells could move from research to the clinic next year. For eight Parkinson's patients seeking treatment with a new form of stem cell therapy, 2014 promises to be a milestone. If all goes well, next year the FDA will give approval to begin clinical trials. And if the patients can raise enough money, the scientists and doctors working with them will have the money to proceed. Jeanne Loring, a stem cell scientist at The Scripps Research Institute, discusses the status of a project to treat Parkinson's patients with their own cells, turned into the kind of brain cells destroyed in Parkinson's. The project is a collaboration with Scripps Health and the Parkinson's Association of San Diego. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute led by Jeanne Loring have taken skin cells from all patients and grown them into artificial embryonic stem cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells. They then converted the cells into dopamine-making neurons, the kind destroyed in Parkinson's disease. Loring discussed the project's progress on Friday morning at the 2013 World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego. If animal studies now under way and other requirements are met, … Continue reading →

Albany, NY (PRWEB) December 12, 2013 Parkinsons Disease Therapeutics Market to 2019 - Pipeline Shows Shift towards Long Term Disease Management. The Parkinsons Disease (PD) market is dominated by symptomatic treatments targeting functional impairment in PD. Levodopa has remained the gold standard treatment for almost 40 years and has significantly improved patient quality of life. There is currently a huge unmet need for disease-modifying treatments that slow progression or have neuroprotective properties. Over the 20122019 forecast period, the PD market is anticipated to decline from $3.4 billion in 2012 to $2.9 billion in 2019, as a consequence of upcoming patent expirations of high-profile products such as Azilect, Stalevo and Comtan. View full report with complete TOC at http://www.researchmoz.us/parkinsons-disease-therapeutics-market-to-2019-pipeline-shows-shift-towards-long-term-disease-management-report.html. Although a few market entrants are anticipated to enter the market over the forecast period, they are not expected to offset the impact of generic erosion. Despite their superior profiles over existing treatments, these new products are not expected to command a premium price as they will be competing against generic products. The current PD pipeline reflects a shift of focus to long-term PD management, marked by the development of key pipeline candidates targeting levodopa-associated motor complications. These products will have the … Continue reading →