Biopharmaceutical firm Anavex Life Sciences has received a nearly $1 million grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation to investigate using PET imaging biomarkers to assess its Anavex 2-73 (blarcamesine) drug for treating Parkinson's disease.
Specifically, the award will be used to explore the utilization of PET imaging biomarkers to enable measurement of target engagement and pathway activation of the sigma-1 receptor (SIGMAR1) with clinically relevant doses in Parkinson's disease patients, according to Anavex.
The foundation had previously funded a clinical trial that established Anavex 2-73 as a potentially disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson's disease, the company said.