Cure Parkinson’s is excited to announce funding for a new pre-clinical study of ‘CP-6’ for Parkinson’s led by Dr Marco Fazzari and his team at the University of Pittsburgh.
CP-6 is a new drug being developed by Creegh Pharmaceuticals. Early lab-based studies have suggested that this drug may be able to protect the dopamine nerve cells (neurons) that are progressively lost in Parkinson’s by reducing inflammation and activating cell repair systems. Led by Dr Marco Fazzari, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, this one-year, pre-clinical study will assess if CP-6 has a neuroprotective effect, how it achieves this, and how long these effects last to determine whether it may be suitable for future clinical trials.
What is CP-6?
CP-6 is a synthetic, or man-made, version of a fatty acid naturally found in the body. Fatty acids play a number of essential roles, including acting as energy stores and helping to control what comes in and out of cells.
Laboratory evidence suggests CP-6 may also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Since both neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are considered drivers of Parkinson’s progression, researchers believe increasing CP-6 levels in the brain could help protect neurons from these processes. Additionally, CP-6 is thought to activate certain cell defense pathways, which could help repair damaged neurons.
Why is this research important?
It is understood that Parkinson’s often looks different between individuals, including in the underlying biology driving progression. Therefore, investigating drugs that act on multiple biological pathways, like CP-6, are a high priority.
CP-6 was evaluated by the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) committee in 2023 and they recommended that further investigations in models of Parkinson’s was required before it could be considered ready for clinical testing in people with Parkinson’s. The data generated by this new study will contribute to a better understanding of whether CP-6 should be tested in a clinical trial, and we look forward to seeing how this project progresses.
