Bayer's Subsidiary BlueRock Therapeutics Reports Positive Phase I Results for Bemdaneprocel in Parkinson’s Disease

Intelligent Finance APP learned that pharmaceutical manufacturer Bayer (BAYRY.US) stated on Wednesday that preliminary tests conducted on 12 volunteers showed that its experimental stem cell therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease was well-tolerated, with transplanted cells surviving in patients' brains. Bayer stated that its subsidiary, BlueRock Therapeutics, conducted a one-year Phase I trial of the therapy, named bemdaneprocel, achieving positive results, which encouraged the company to advance human trials into the second phase.

To carry out experimental treatment, researchers at BlueRock Therapeutics extract dopamine-producing neurons from pluripotent stem cells, which are early-stage cells capable of developing into any type of specialized tissue. When surgically implanted into the brains of Parkinson's disease patients, the therapeutic cells are designed to restore neural networks damaged by Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson's disease is currently incurable, with over 10 million people worldwide affected. It causes progressive damage to brain cells, leading to a decline in dopamine levels. Symptoms include loss of motor function, tremors, muscle stiffness, and slowed movement.

To build its cell and gene therapy business, Bayer acquired BlueRock Therapeutics and Asklepios BioPharmaceutical in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Additionally, Bayer reached a cooperation agreement last year with Mammoth Biosciences, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, to jointly develop therapeutic tools based on CRISPR/CAS9 gene editing. Mammoth Biosciences was co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna.