Austria-based biotech AFFiRiS AG has enrolled the first patients in an early stage clinical trial of a first-of-its-kind vaccine approach to treating Parkinson’s disease, called PD01.

Just this past summer, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) awarded $1.5 million to AFFiRiS for their  vaccine targeting alpha-synuclein, a protein implicated in Parkinson's whose clumping is the pathological hallmark of the disease.  The Phase I study is testing the safety and efficacy of PD01. The hope is that PD01 will stimulate the production of antibodies that bind to alpha-synuclein, clearing it from the brain and slowing the progression of the disease.

The trial, led by AFFiRiS chief medical officer Achim Schneeberger, MD, will engage 24 subjects with mild Parkinson’s disease over two years at a single clinical site in Austria.

Following the MJFF award, AFFiRiS secured 30 million Euros in additional funding from two investors to develop its portfolio of Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s vaccines.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about the AFFiRiS approach.