The c-Abl inhibitor IkT-148009 therapeutically suppresses neurodegeneration in models of heritable and sporadic Parkinson’s Disease

PD pathology is characterized by the accumulation of misfolded a-synuclein, which is thought to play a critical role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. Animal models of PD suggest that activation of the Abelson Tyrosine Kinase, or c-Abl, plays an essential role in the initiation and progression of a-synuclein pathology and initiates processes leading to the degeneration of dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurons.

Given the essential role of c-Abl in the disease, a proprietary c-Abl inhibitor library was developed to identify potent, orally bioavailable c-Abl inhibitors capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier based on pre-defined characteristics, leading to the discovery of IkT-148009. IkT-148009 is a selective, potent, brain-penetrant c-Abl inhibitor with a favorable toxicology profile that was analyzed for therapeutic potential in animal models of slowly progressive, a-synuclein-dependent disease.