GLNT and UCB Partner to Create Ways to Better Judge Effectiveness of Parkinson’s Treatment

Great Lakes NeuroTech (GLNT) announced that it will partner with UCB to develop quantitative tools that will help Parkison’s disease (PD) patients and their clinicians to better assess the impact of  treatment. The goal is to improve patients’ individual experiences as well as, ultimately, improve their quality of life.

Parkinson’s disease causes tremors, and impaired mobility and movement, as well as additional side effects to medication that can include involuntarily movements. These symptoms are challenging to patients, regardless of their intensity. Being able to access detailed feedback on how a patient responds to treatment could give clinicians the tools needed to improve patients care and to tailor treatments to suit individual needs.

Under the partnership, the companies will combine data from wearable diagnostics (like sensors and apps) and therapy dosage, and turn them into visualization feedback tools. This may help clinicians to adjust dosages to optimal settings, and guide patient feedback to confirm that the therapy is achieving best possible results.

“Simply putting ambulatory sensors on a patient is no longer that difficult. What is incredibly challenging, rewarding and distinguishes GLNT is developing targeted algorithms and applications which can use that data to actually guide clinical decisions,” Joe Giuffrida, GLNT’s president, said in a press release. “Our research team has spent years developing and validating algorithms for assessing motor symptoms, and are excited to now partner with UCB on a targeted therapy application.”

In a planned pilot study to explore the companies’ combined expertise:

• UCB will bring its Neupro (transdermal system) therapy, a Parkinson’s-specific skin patch that releases rotigotine, a dopamine agonist, continuously for 24 hours.
• GLNT will bring its Kinesia system for objective, wearable assessment of Parkinson’s motor symptoms. Kinesia uses sensors and apps to monitor symptoms remotely. The system has been validated in more than 100 publications, and has been cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

“UCB is committed to identifying and addressing the unmet needs of people living with Parkinson’s Disease to enable them to have a more engaged life every day,” said Ana Infante, head of UCB’s Free Motion Mission. “We are excited to be collaborating with GLNT to progress and explore value creating opportunities in movement disorders and other neurological diseases of high unmet need. This partnership supports our vision of ensuring all patients with movement disorders experience an optimum treatment experience.”