Amarin sees positive data from PD drug trials

UK-based neuroscience company Amarin says that it has seen positive results from two preclinical studies of its drug Miraxion (ultra-pure ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid), used as a treatment for Parkinson's disease.

Data from the first study suggest that the compound has a neuroprotective effect in cell lines associated with conditions such as SH-SY5Y, which are derived from human neuroblastoma cell lines and are the accepted model for in vitro studies of the effect of medication on PD. Analysis of the data showed that the drug slowed neuronal apoptosis via interaction with transmembrane tyrosine-specific receptor kinase, which is linked to the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders.

The second trial demonstrated that Miraxion modulated cellular function in SH-SY5Y models which had been treated with the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), and demonstrated, in animal models, that it improved learning performance and motor function.