Why it matters: Parkinson’s treatments can help manage symptoms, but none has been shown to slow or stop the disease. TT-P34 is designed to protect neurons by targeting cellular processes involved in neurodegeneration, placing it among treatments that aim to alter Parkinson’s progression itself.
Zoom in: The Phase 1 trial tested TT-P34 in 55 healthy volunteers before enrolling 12 people with early-stage Parkinson’s. Once-weekly subcutaneous doses were well tolerated at all levels tested, with no dose-limiting findings, according to Teitur. Pharmacokinetic analysis also showed dose-dependent exposure in the brain and central nervous system
How it works: TT-P34 is a cyclic peptide designed to improve the function of mitochondria, which provide cells with energy, and lysosomes, which help cells break down and clear damaged material. Both processes can become dysfunctional in neurodegenerative diseases, contributing to neuron loss.
Backstory: Teitur spun out of Aarhus University in 2020 and raised a €28 million Series A in 2023 to take its peptide platform into clinical development. With TT-P34 through Phase 1, the company is now raising a Series B to fund the planned Phase 2 study.
The big picture: Several approaches to disease modification in Parkinson’s are further along. Ambroxol, which targets the lysosomal enzyme GCase, is being tested in a phase 3 study, while Roche’s prasinezumab, an antibody targeting alpha-synuclein, also entered a phase 3 trial this year despite missing the primary endpoint in phase 2b back in December 2024.
Reality check: Showing disease modification in Parkinson’s has proved difficult. In May, Biogen and Denali’s LRRK2 inhibitor BIIB122 failed to slow progression in a phase 2b study of early-stage Parkinson’s, missing both its primary and secondary endpoints. The companies decided to stop developing the drug for idiopathic Parkinson’s.
What to watch: Teitur plans to start Phase 2 testing in 2027 and is raising a series B to fund the study. More detailed Phase 1 results are due to be presented at the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in Seoul on October 5.
Sign up for our newsletter!
