CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lysoway Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing small-molecule modulators of lysosomal ion channels, today announced that it has been awarded an additional research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to support development of its TMEM175 agonist program for Parkinson’s disease.
The award was made through MJFF’s Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program, which supports therapeutic candidates with the potential to modify disease progression and improve the lives of people living with Parkinson’s disease. The new funding of approximately $3.4 million will support the preclinical and translational advancement of Lysoway’s novel, highly brain-penetrant small-molecule TMEM175 agonists.
“The Therapeutics Pipeline Program is designed to support the evaluation of promising therapeutic approaches grounded in Parkinson’s biology,” said Jessica Tome Garcia, Lead Scientific Program Manager, Translational Research at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. “We are interested in better understanding targets like TMEM175 and their role in lysosomal function, and how these pathways may inform future therapeutic strategies.”
The funded studies are designed to evaluate whether pharmacological activation of TMEM175 can affect lysosomal function and protein and lipid homeostasis, and how this may influence cellular responses under conditions of aging and cellular stress. Mechanistic and efficacy studies will be conducted across multiple disease-relevant models to support future regulatory submissions and advancement toward clinical development.
“We are honored to receive this generous support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation,” said Dr. Valerie Cullen, Principal Investigator and SVP of Research and Translation at Lysoway Therapeutics, “TMEM175 is genetically linked to Parkinson’s disease risk and plays a critical role in maintaining lysosomal pH, autophagic capacity, and cellular resilience. Our lead development candidate is both orally bioavailable and highly brain-penetrant, addressing key challenges historically associated with targeting lysosomal ion channels for neurodegenerative diseases.”
“This funding further reinforces the growing recognition of TMEM175 as a promising therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Yongchang Qiu, Co-principal Investigator, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lysoway Therapeutics, “The advancement of a second development candidate targeting a lysosomal ion channel further highlights the capabilities of our structure-based discovery platform and our ability to translate complex lysosomal biology into small molecules approaches for therapeutic investigation. With MJFF’s support, we plan to advance the evaluation of our lead TMEM175 agonist, establish translational target engagement biomarkers, and initiate IND-enabling studies.”
About Lysoway Therapeutics
Lysoway Therapeutics is a biotechnology company pioneering therapeutics targeting lysosomal ion channels for age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Leveraging structure-based drug design, high-resolution cryo-EM, and proprietary insights into lysosomal biology, Lysoway is developing highly brain-penetrant small-molecule modulators of TRPML1 and TMEM175 designed to restore autophagy–lysosomal function and cellular homeostasis.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the development, therapeutic potential, and anticipated advancement of Lysoway’s product candidates. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied due to risks and uncertainties inherent in drug development and clinical research.
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