Compelling evidence that chronic neuroinflammation induces neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD)

Hypothesized that microglial inflammasome activation propagates chronic neuroinflammation in PD

IC 100, a CNS-penetrating monoclonal ASC Inhibitor, targets multiple types of inflammasomes to block initiation and perpetuation of damaging chronic inflammation

WESTON, Fla., July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ZyVersa Therapeutics, Inc. (ZyVersa), a clinical-stage specialty biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class drugs for treatment of inflammatory and renal diseases, is honored to receive a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) to determine if IC 100 inhibition of inflammasomes and ASC specks blocks microglial-mediated inflammation in a PD model. The research will be conducted at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in the labs of IC 100 inventors, Drs. Robert W. Keane and Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari. Dr. Keane is Professor, Departments of Physiology and Biophysics, Neurological Surgery and Microbiology, Immunology, and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. de Rivero Vaccari is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and a Distinguished Faculty Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

"We are grateful to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for funding this research," says Dr. Robert Keane. "This project will be the first to determine if α-synuclein preformed fibrils (PFF) and ASC specks trigger microglial inflammasome activation, causing them to shift to a detrimental phenotype and whether inflammasome inhibition with IC 100 prevents this shift by inhibiting ASC speck formation."

"There is a significant unmet need for therapies that can delay or halt the progression of Parkinson's disease, which impacts the lives of around one million people in the U.S. and more than six million globally," stated Stephen C. Glover, ZyVersa's Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman. "This research will help determine the potential of IC 100 (inflammasome ASC inhibitor) to block the damaging neuroinflammation that induces neural degeneration in Parkinson's disease, similar to what we have seen in other CNS conditions. In animal models of multiple sclerosis, aging, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke, IC 100 has been shown to interfere with CNS inflammasome signaling, resulting in improved histopathological and behavioral outcomes."

"MJFF continues to fund therapeutic research to improve the lives of people with Parkinson's disease," said Jessica Tome-Garcia, Ph.D., Associate Director of Research Programs at MJFF. "We are optimistic in funding ZyVersa's research to further our understanding of neuroinflammation pathways and to see if the IC 100 inhibition of inflammasomes will block the gateway of activation."

ZyVersa is a clinical stage specialty biopharmaceutical company leveraging advanced, proprietary technologies to develop first-in-class drugs. Our focus is on patients with inflammatory or renal diseases who have significant unmet medical needs. Our development pipeline includes a novel inflammasome ASC inhibitor with potential to treat multiple CNS and other inflammatory diseases. It also includes phase 2a-ready VAR 200, a cholesterol efflux mediator for treatment of rare kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). VAR 200 has potential to treat other kidney diseases, such as Alport Syndrome and Diabetic Kidney Disease. For more information, please visit www.zyversa.com.

As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors, and volunteers. In addition to funding $1.5 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; creates a robust open-access data set and biosample library to speed scientific breakthroughs and treatment with its landmark clinical study, PPMI; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events, and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit us at www.michaeljfox.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

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SOURCE ZyVersa Therapeutics, Inc.