New spin out to investigate decade’s worth of neurological research

A virtual biotech company has been launched by Parkinson’s UK and the University of Sheffield to create a new novel treatment for the neurological disease.  

The company, Keapstone Therapeutics, will aim to further develop more than decade’s worth of research at the University of Sheffield that could trigger the body’s defence system to protect cells from oxidative stress. There is a wide array of evidence that suggests that oxidative stress may cause or contribute to Parkinson’s.

Director of Research at Parkinson’s UK, Arthur Roach, said: “Due to the funding gap in early stage drug discovery, there are promising scientific breakthroughs for Parkinson’s happening every day that are not being picked up and developed by commercial companies.

“This major new programme of work will allow us to act in a similar way to a small biotech company. However, unlike a commercial company, our primary goal is the creation of new treatments to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s, regardless of commercial considerations.”

Oxidative stress has been linked to a build-up of free radicals and the spinout will fund Synature Discovery to optimise these small molecules to prevent the interaction between two proteins - Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (KEAP1) and Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2). These will increase the survival of neurons in not only Parkinson’s, but also motor neurone disease.

Dr Richard Mead, from Keapstone Therapeutics and one of the scientists who had been working on these small molecules, said: “We are very excited about this new partnership with Parkinson’s UK.  It is a great opportunity for us to pursue a novel drug discovery programme for both Parkinson’s and MND.  We will now progress these molecules through the next stage of drug development with Sygnature Discovery and Peak Proteins (a specialist protein laboratory).”