We want to create new treatment options.

For a better quality of life despite neurodegenerative diseases.

Living with a neurodegenerative disease

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple system atrophy (MSA), it can be very distressing.

At MODAG, we understand that this diagnosis brings not only physical but also emotional challenges. Our mission is to give hope and find new ways to treat it.

The fight against the invisible:
MODAG’s mission against neurodegenerative diseases

Patients & relatives

Where we are today

Neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson’s disease pose major challenges for patients, relatives, doctors and researchers. To date, there are no therapies that can stop or reverse the progression of the disease.

Patients & relatives

What happens in the body

At the heart of these diseases are tiny deposits of misfolded and clumped endogenous proteins – so-called oligomers – which are invisible to the naked eye. These toxic aggregates form in cells of the nervous system and lead to their death. Conventional treatment approaches fail to reach these oligomers and render them harmless.

Patients & relatives

Our innovative approach

We are researching novel active substances that specifically target the harmful protein deposits. Our aim is to slow down or even stop the progression of the disease. Our research therefore aims to develop the first truly disease-modifying therapy for these diseases.

Understanding neurodegenerative diseases

What are neurodegenerative diseases?

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are diseases in which nerve cells in the brain gradually die off. This leads to various problems, especially with movement and control of the body.

In both diseases, the clumping and deposition of a certain misfolded protein (alpha-synuclein) in the nerve cells plays an important role.

Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. In this disease, certain nerve cells in the midbrain that produce the important neurotransmitter dopamine die off.

What is dopamine used for?

Dopamine is very important for controlling our movements. If there is too little of it, typical Parkinson’s symptoms occur:

  • Slowed movements or lack of movement (akinesia)
  • Stiff muscles (rigor)
  • Trembling, especially at rest (resting tremor)
  • Balance problems with impaired postural stability and gait stability (postural instability)

Other symptoms may include

  • Sleep disorders
  • Olfactory disorders
  • Depression
  • Constipation
  • Cognitive disorders

Progression of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease usually develops gradually over a period of years – usually with unspecific early symptoms. As the disease progresses, around 40% of those affected develop cognitive disorders and even dementia. Medication and supportive therapies can alleviate motor symptoms, but there is currently no cure.

Frequency

In Germany, around 250,000 to 400,000 people suffer from Parkinson’s disease. There are around 12,500 new cases every year. The incidence increases with age: from 1.4% in 65-year-olds to 3.5% in 85-year-olds. Men are affected slightly more often than women.

Worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s dementia.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA)

MSA is a so-called atypical form of Parkinson’s disease. It is rarer, but has a faster progression than Parkinson’s disease.

Here, too, nerve cells die, but more extensive areas of the brain and more different types of brain cells are affected. This leads to a combination of symptoms that affect both the motor system and the autonomic nervous system:

A dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system typically manifests itself in the following disorders

  • the bladder function
  • the erectile function
  • intestinal mobility
  • the regulation of blood pressure and body temperature

Additional Parkinson’s-like symptoms often occur, such as

  • slowness of movement
  • stiffness of the muscles

Disorders of cerebellar function with impaired coordination, progressive loss of balance or speech disorders are also common.

Disorders in thinking and memory (cognitive disorders) are rather rare.

Progression of MSA

MSA is rarer and progresses faster than Parkinson’s disease. Many patients die within the first ten years of diagnosis.

Frequency

Around 4-5 out of every 100,000 people suffer from MSA. The disease typically begins in adulthood, usually between the ages of 50 and 60.

Our aim is to offer the first disease-modifying therapy for MSA in the near future with our partner Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

We know how important this is for patients and their families and are doing everything we can to make this hope a reality.

This is what makes our innovative approach so special

Our research focuses on the harmful protein deposits (oligomers) in cells of the nervous system, which play a central role in neurodegenerative diseases and lead to the death of nerve cells. Our active ingredients reach the brain and only act on the toxically misfolded protein clumps. This is intended to slow or stop the progression of the disease.

We combine 2 important pillars:

Early detection

We develop innovative methods for the early detection of diseases. This is because the earlier a disease can be identified, the better it can be intervened – similar to an early warning system that recognizes problems before they become serious.

Targeted therapy

We are researching active substances such as emrusolmin (anle138b), which directly target the cause of the disease. These drugs should not only alleviate symptoms, but also halt the progression of the disease.

Our progress in research

Unser Wirkstoffkandidat Emrusolmin (anle138b, TEV-56286) für MSA

Vor der Anwendung am Menschen

Umfangreiche Laborversuche mit weltweit führenden Wissenschaftlern, um die Wirkmechanismen zu verstehen

Phase 1

Ablauf
  • Phase 1a
    Erste Anwendung an gesunden Teilnehmern
  • Phase 1b
    Erste Testung an Patienten
  • DDI-Studie
    Überprüfung, ob das Medikament mit anderen Arzneimitteln wechselwirkt

Wirkstoffverhalten im Körper

  • Einnahme als Kapsel, Halbwertszeit von ~12 Stunden, Mahlzeiten beeinträchtigen die Wirkspiegel nicht
  • Wirkspiegel: Blutkonzentrationen erreichen Werte, die in Tiermodellen effektiv waren

Sicherheit

  • Kein spezifisches Nebenwirkungsmuster erkennbar
  • Keine schwerwiegenden unerwünschten Ereignisse sind aufgetreten

Phase 2

TOPAS-MSA-Studie
(Targeting Oligomer Pathology of Alpha-Synuclein in MSA)

  • Wirkstoffkandidat
    Emrusolmin (anle138b, TEV-56286)
  • Zufällige Gruppeneinteilung
    (Medikament vs. Placebo)
  • Doppelblind
    weder Patienten noch Ärzte wissen, wer das Medikament und wer das Placebo bekommt
  • 48 Wochen Hauptstudie
    und anschließende offene Verlängerungsphase

Zielvariablen

  • Primärer Endpunkt
    Veränderung im UMSARS-Symptomscore: Ob sich der Gesundheitszustand hinsichtlich der Beweglichkeit und Alltagsfähigkeiten verbessert hat
  • Weitere Endpunkte
    Andere klinische Messwerte, Biomarker, Sicherheit und Verträglichkeit

Find support: Organizations at your side.

We know how important support is. It is crucial not only to be informed about the medical aspects, but also to have access to helpful information.

Here you will find a selection of organizations and sources of information that can offer you and your relatives valuable support.

Partners and organizations we work with

Patient stories

Life experiences: how other patients cope with Parkinson’s disease and MSA

News & interesting facts

You can find many more exciting articles and scientific background information in our MODAG blog.