The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) awarded a $1.4M grant to Bexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of biologic therapy to treat solid tumor cancers and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The grant will fund the preclinical development of BXQ-350 for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
 
“We are grateful and honored to receive this generous grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation as we explore the potential of BXQ-350 in neurogenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease,” said Jim Beach, Chief Executive Officer of Bexion. “We are excited to accelerate our research, which will help address the pressing needs of patients currently lacking effective treatment options.”
 
Preclinical and clinical data demonstrate that BXQ-350 is a potent allosteric activator of wild type and mutated glucocerebrosidase (GCase). A key mutation in the GBA gene, which encodes GCase, appears in 5 to 15% of PD patients and is the largest genetic risk for developing the disease.
 
“At MJFF, we are constantly seeking and funding innovative research that holds the potential to transform Parkinson’s treatment and bring us closer to a cure,” said Jessica Tome Garcia, PhD, senior scientific portfolio manager at MJFF. “We greatly value the ongoing efforts to test novel therapeutic approaches to advanced targets in PD like GCase.”