MapLight awarded $5.5M from Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MapLight’s promising platform continues to garner support from leading Parkinson’s research foundation.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 4, 2021 – MapLight Therapeutics announced a $5.5M million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to develop therapeutic treatments for levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). A side effect of the dopamine replacement therapy used to treat Parkinson’s disease, LID involves abnormal involuntary movements that can be as debilitating as Parkinson’s disease itself.

“We are grateful for the continued support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation as we work to understand and advance treatments for Parkinson’s disease,” said Anatol Kreitzer, Ph.D., Chief Discovery Officer at MapLight. “This funding is an important step in the advancement of an exciting, first-in-class therapeutic for a disabling condition that impacts many patients.”

Dopamine treatment can provide relief from the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, such as tremor, rigidity, and slow movement. However, chronic use of dopamine and advancing disease can cause an imbalance of the neural pathways that activate and inhibit movement, leading to LID. The current standard-of-care treatment for LID, amantadine, is often ineffective and can significantly impair patient cognition.

MJFF will fund MapLight’s discovery and development efforts with $5.5 million over the course of three years. The project focuses on the potential of a novel G protein-coupled receptor to limit circuit dysfunction, reducing dyskinesia without triggering other unwanted side effects.