Inhibikase Therapeutics Expands its Scientific Advisory Board with the Appointment of Leading Experts in Parkinson’s Disease
ATLANTA and BOSTON, March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing protein kinase inhibitors for the treatment of neurological infections and neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with the appointment of two leading scientists in the discovery of biomarkers and mechanism of Parkinson’s disease (PD) initiation and progression. The SAB will support Inhibikase’s management team and the company in advancing IkT-148009 for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.
The additional members of Inhibikase Therapeutics’ SAB include:
- Kenneth Marek, M.D., President and Senior Scientist at The Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Principal Investigator at The Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI)
- Jeffrey H. Kordower, Ph.D., The Alla V and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Aging and Neurological Sciences at the Rush University Medical Center
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Marek and Dr. Kordower to our Scientific Advisory Board,” said Milton Werner, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Inhibikase Therapeutics. “Each distinguished appointee is recognized worldwide for their work on biomarkers, disease mechanism and initiation of Parkinson’s disease. Their expertise and successful track record will be a critical asset as we continue to explore our approach to potentially both halt and reverse Parkinson’s disease.”
Kenneth Marek, M.D.
Dr. Marek is President and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders in New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Marek's major research interests include identification of biomarkers for early detection, assessment of disease progression and development of new treatments for Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. His specific interest has been in in vivo neuroreceptor imaging biomarkers. Dr. Marek has authored numerous neurology and neuroscience publications on these topics. He has served and continues to be the principal investigator of several ongoing multi-center international studies, including the Parkinson Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI), the Parkinson Associated Risk Syndrome (PARS) study and Path to Prevention (P2P). He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Dr. Marek also was a co-founder of Molecular NeuroImaging, LLC, a company providing discovery and clinical neuroimaging research services. He received his medical degree from Yale University and performed his internal medicine and neurology training at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Jeffrey H. Kordower, Ph.D.
Dr. Kordower is The Alla V and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Aging and Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. He has published over 350 manuscripts and papers on cell replacement strategies and gene therapy that have been published in Nature Medicine and The New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Kordower has been ranked 29th in PD expertise worldwide and has performed numerous gene and cell therapy preclinical studies that have been translated into clinical trials. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Queens College, City University of New York.
About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, affecting approximately 1,000,000 persons in the United States, with 60,000 new cases and 38,000 deaths annually. PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that initiates with dysfunction of a small protein known as alpha-synuclein, inside and outside of the brain. The common features of PD include tremors at a resting state, slowing or lack of control of movement and postural instability. These features of the disease arise from degeneration of neurons that secrete dopamine to transmit neurological signals. The degeneration of these dopaminergic (DA) neurons in nigrostriatal area of the brain near the brainstem, coupled with the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein aggregates in cell bodies and terminals known as Lewy bodies (LBs), have long been thought to be the cause of the disease. Less well known are the features of this disease can affect serotonin levels, cholinergic, and norepinephrine neurons and nerve cells in the olfactory system, cerebral hemisphere, brain stem, spinal cord, and peripheral autonomic nervous system such as in the GI tract. Currently, these non-dopaminergic features are not properly controlled with dopamine-replacement or levodopa therapy.
About Inhibikase Therapeutics
Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development of protein kinase inhibitors for treatment of neurological infections and neurodegenerative diseases. The Company’s pipeline includes multiple product developed from its proprietary RAMP drug innovation and prodrug technology engines, using the same clinically validated kinase target. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts.
Inhibikase Investor Contact
Carl Mauch
Stern Investor Relations
212-362-1200
carl.mauch@sternir.com
Released March 19, 2019